Finite Harmony
by Lalaith Quetzalli
Summary: -Sequel to F&D, BoR, S and EG.- Every thing and every person in the universe has a time, a place, an order; passion, energy, joy, nature, peace, mystery, and many, many more forces co-exist, bringing balance to creation, a harmony that may echo into infinity. But sometimes, some harmonies have to burn, so better ones may take their place… (Minor Slash) (Touches a lot of fandoms)
1. Orange

So... here we are! Hello! It's not been four months yet, more like three but 1) I'm currently writing the last chapter for this fic, and I really wanted to get started on the posting 2) I'm really, really hoping to be finished with this arc before Infinity War comes out in May. Now, I've said this before, and I'm saying it again: there will be no Infinity War as such in the Nightingale verse. In this fic you'll see the closest I'm willing to get to it. Remember that my Thanos is nothing like the comic, or even the MCU one, I fleshed out mine before I knew who and what he was supposed to be. My Thanos is a Titan, not for a moon or a planet he hails from, but as an Old One, a Titan (Greek Style, somewhat). I mix a lot of mythos (Norse, Greek, Egyptian, Prehispanic, among others), also Tolkien mythology, some religious themes, and a lot more. Some things are implicit, but still. You don't need to understand any of them, what needs to, is explained in the series at some point or another; and even then, most of it isn't completely necessary to understand the fics, unless you're a tad obsessive like me and like to know why things work.

Disclaimer: I don't own yadda, yadda... This fic will have mentions and cameos from many different fandoms, most of which have brought up in the series at one point or another. I'm not going to enlist who owns which, just know I don't own any of it, only the idea for the fic, and the clearly original characters.

Dreamcast for this chapter: Emily Browning as Nightingale.

Song for this chapter: "Heavens Divide" as sung by Donna Burke (It's the vocal theme for the video game Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker).

IMPORTANT: This fic is written entirely in 1st person POV; however, the narrator will shift with each one. You will know who's narrating because it will be stated at the beginning.

* * *

Finite Harmony

(Sequel to _Fate and Destiny,_ _Bouquet of Roses, Sentinels_ and _Ethereal Gift_ )

 _By: Lalaith Quetzalli_

 _Every thing and every person in the universe has a time, a place, an order; passion, energy, joy, nature, peace, mystery, and many, many more forces co-exist, bringing balance to creation, a harmony that may echo into infinity. But sometimes, some harmonies have to burn, so better ones may take their place…_

 **Orange (Nightingale)**

To bring balance to the world, first we must be at balance with ourselves...

The universe was big, bigger than I could have ever imagined it being. Loki and I had decided early on to take our time traveling. Our destination wasn't even in our own galaxy (and galaxies were huge! More than most would imagine possible). We knew where we were supposed to go, to a point at least; but there was no hurry, not yet, and there was just so much my Maverick wanted to show me. Also, the most direct path was also likely to be the most dangerous, the last thing we needed was for the Mad Titan to become aware of us.

Another layer of protection were our disguises. After some consideration I decided to spell my hair into a pale blonde shade and took to wearing it in two pigtails as well as darker clothes than I usually favored; also, mostly pants and tight tops (unlike my usual long skirts and loose tops or dresses). Loki's disguise was a whole other thing, as he was taking advantage of his shape-shifting abilities to turn into a tall, statuesque beauty with long waves of dark hair and the greenest eyes… a female beauty. We traveled under the names of Aria and Lucia respectively, a match. I honestly didn't mind a bit whether my love was in a male or female body, I loved everything Loki was, always had and always would; as much as he loved me, I knew it, we both did, we could feel each other's love, not just through our bonds, but the fact that we knew the very bonds only existed because of that love.

We saw a great many wonderful, and also many terrible things while traveling through the stars, things both beautiful and horrid. I realized that, in the end, no race is better or worse than another, they all have their good and bad things, their virtues and vices, their villains and heroes… perhaps what truly hurt me was discovering how much war there truly was around the world.

I knew war, I was part of a one. Even though I at first wanted nothing more than to get as far away from the conflict, to keep myself and those I called my own safe… when those same people asked it of me… I could never tell them no. And how could I refuse to help, when I knew I was capable of things not many could? How could I, as a healer, refuse to be where I knew people would need me? So I willingly stepped into a war zone, walked among the dead and the dying, hoping to be able to save at least a few lives. And I did, I know I did, more than a few even… that didn't make things any better when the nightmares started.

I haven't had a single full-night of peaceful sleep since first stepping into a war-zone, back in 1943. It had been bad enough before that, with memories of what footage I'd seen of Puente Antiguo (hacked by Darcy) and New York (the media had shown more than enough, and then SHIELD), the shadows and coldness in the corner of my mind from my love's time in the Abyss, and in the Pit, and then there was the battle against Chitauri in the New Mexico desert and my own death… Loki's whipping, the conflict with the marauders, the attacks from Malekith and his Svartalfar both in Asgard (where I nearly died, again) and in London; and then there were my memories from my life as Tinúviel, the war that eventually took Kontar's and Sharifa's lives, Amora's attack that nearly ended with Sif's death, and the one that ended with mine, as well as my unborn baby's. Yes, I'd been through enough things to fuel nightmares for years, decades to come, yet nothing was so bad as those two years in Europe, during the war.

I thought nothing could ever be worse than the things I got to witness during WWII. I could still remember, the soldiers, the civilians, the survivors from the camps… and those who did not survive. There had been so much grief, and pain, I thought nothing could possibly be as bad… and then we got to Xandar. It was… the whole planet was… there were simply no words. During the war I made a point to go nowhere near the Concentration Camps, even the survivors, I'd build psychic shield upon psychic shield in an attempt to not drown under their emotions; and the only reason I did it was because I knew I'd feel guiltier if I didn't at least try to help.

We'd been traveling around for about two years (two Terran years, rather than whatever measure of time they had in what systems we visited… the latest one being the Nova Empire in the Andromeda galaxy) more or less, helping people here and there, picking up news about Thanos and his minions. We couldn't help but think that he'd managed to recover much too fast after New York, even if Iron Man hadn't managed to destroy more than half of his army with that nuke… it still should have taken him longer unless… my match suspected he might have somehow gotten wind of the Stones that kept surfacing on Terra, and that was making him want to attack, even if his numbers were somewhat limited. Then again, with the kind of power we believed Thanos to possess, he didn't need much of an army.

At some point during our travels we even managed to earn ourselves some titles, or rather one: Thaliel, it came from someone clearly of elven descent, considering the language was elvish, it meant 'valiant daughter/girl/maid' (pl. Thalill) which was probably the closest one could get to 'warrior lady' in that language, considering that elves would never train ladies for battle. I liked it, it was a reminder, however small, of my origins. And so we were, Aria and Lucia, the Thalill. We went from planet to planet, doing odd jobs, helping here and there, sometimes even just sight-seeing (the whole thing reminded me a bit of our honeymoon, back in my old life, only on a different scale).

Xandar… we never saw Xandar coming. What happened on that planet before our arrival… it was beyond words. There were just so many dead, and hurt, angry and pained and grieving… I felt like I was going to drown before we even landed on the planet. In fact, we came quite close to never landing, my Maverick was all for turning the ship and flying until we got far enough that I could no longer feel any of them. But in the end, just like with all those injured soldiers and the survivors of the camps, my healer-disposition, my desire to make things better, to help people, won.

We had made enough of a name for ourselves that, once we gave our names we were authorized for priority landing. We also got someone from the Nova Corps waiting for us as we disembarked and were taken straight to their leader: the Nova Prime.

"My ladies." She greeted us with a respectful nod of her head, which we returned. "We've heard much about you. With the recent tragedy we've been through, I hope you might be able to give us some of your help."

"That's what we're here for." My love stated evenly.

It was indeed. My love used magic to tweak our connection just enough for him to help me absorb some of the backlash from the emotions, just enough for both of us to be able to function correctly.

When we learned what had happened exactly in Xandar, just two weeks prior: the battle against an insane, vengeful Kree called Ronan the Accuser, the attempts made by the Nova Corps to stop him and his minions, the Guardians of the Galaxy (who were apparently a bunch of criminals who'd somehow gone from that to saving the galaxy)… Most of the city had been evacuated shortly before the start of the fight, thanks to Star-Lord's (the leader of the Guardians) warning; even then, there had been no few deaths and injured, and a great deal of destruction; and of course then there were the Corps. Half of those who'd gone out to fight had died, and the other half… most had been so badly off there had been little hope for them, until our arrival.

A part of me actually wished we'd arrived sooner, that we'd been in Xandar in time to help during the battle, perhaps we might have been able to save more people then. And to think we'd been planning on going to Knowhere first! Only my love picking up on a trace of Thanos way too close to that place had made us decide to change the order. Since I had no way of changing the time of our arrival, I focused on doing all I could. Made sure to go to those worst off first, healing them as much as I could, as much as was needed to make sure they wouldn't die once I moved on. It was exhausting, but that didn't stop me. My match used magic to help here and there as needed, but nothing too taxing, so I might draw on our combined energy and thus be able to heal more people before dropping for the night.

 **xXx**

About two weeks or so after our arrival to Xandar, we'd managed to heal all who could be healed. There was still much to do for the city to recover, but nothing that others couldn't do better, which meant that the time was coming for us to move on (I really was hoping for a nice peaceful planet for our next stop, somewhere we could just lay down and rest for a day, or ten…). Nova Prime invited us to meet the Guardians before we (both them, and us) left. I wasn't sure why it mattered, until my love reminded me we were on that trip not only to seek information, but also to possibly find allies in the upcoming fight against Thanos. The Guardians had already proven their willingness to fight even when the odds were far against them… also, Rose had been the one to point us in the direction of Xandar, and the Nova Corps, because they had the fifth stone. We'd no way of knowing if that was true, and if it was, how to even broach the topic with them. I had a feeling that neither our reputations, nor everything we'd done in the previous two weeks to help, would be enough if we were to try and simply ask them to hand it over.

*It wouldn't be that easy, anyway.* My match pointed out mentally. *Infinity Stones are… fickle, not just anyone can handle them, and even just being near them can be a hazard. We need to be careful on our approach, not just because of the Corps, but also due to the Stone itself.* He made a pause before adding. *Also, I've been hearing some quite interesting rumors regarding what I presume was the stone, and a 'light show' that took place the day of the battle. We may be able to confirm or deny those if we meet with the so-called Guardians.*

All the more reason to agree to the meeting; so we did.

The first things I noticed were: green skin and dark-pink hair… I reacted before I was quite aware of it; stepping before my love, dropping into a half-crouch, crystal dagger in one hand, the other one already half tracing a rune in the air.

"Woa!" The green-eyed, brown-haired man in what looked like jeans a blue shirt and tanned-leather jacket called out, rushing to stand before his companion, hands raised in the universal signed for someone unarmed.

*Nightingale…?!* Even my love was surprised by my actions.

"That was some visceral reaction." A… talking raccoon commented as he went to stand beside the green-skinned woman.

*I remember her.* I told my Maverick through our bond. *From your memories… she hurt you.*

Apparently my beloved hadn't been paying attention, hadn't really looked at her, until then. We all noticed the tension that filled her body.

"This is because of me." The green-skinned woman in the short black dress commented, sounding curious, eyes fixed on me. "You recognized me. Though I've never met you before, either of you..." She cocked her head, slowly turning her attention towards Lucia. "You seem familiar." It took a while but eventually she got it, at least to a point. "I hurt someone close to you, didn't I?"

"Yes." I hissed, unable to even think about lowering my guard. "And I won't let you do it again. Never, ever again."

"I have no wish to hurt anyone now." She pointed out. "Most of the times I did hurt, I didn't want to do it. It was a matter of self-preservation."

"Thanos would have hurt you if you hadn't done as he ordered." My match finished for her.

"Maverick…?" I didn't even notice when I said it out-loud, instead of in our bond.

I was never a violent person, not really, it went against every instinct (I thought it might be connected to my past as an elf, and being empathetic too)… except where it concerned my loved ones, there was very little I wasn't willing to do for them. And my love… he'd already suffered so much, I was willing to protect him, no matter what was needed. What I did not expect was for him to be so understanding of one who'd hurt him so much that he sometimes still dreamt (had nightmares) about it.

"She's not so different from me, Nightingale, not really." He pointed out. "Perhaps the only difference lays in that I had you, even when I had nothing and no one else, I had you and I could trust you. She had no one."

"She has us now." The man in the leather jacket stated, very seriously. "Gamora is part of our team and we won't let you hurt her."

Things finally started to reach me, beyond my protective instincts, which were still pretty much in overdrive. I still noticed the exact moment when the woman… Gamora, realized exactly who my love was…

"Loki..." She murmured quietly, with a nod.

For all answer, my love dropped his disguise.

"It would seem things have changed a lot." He pointed out with a slight smirk, even as he pulled me to stand beside him.

"More than you could ever imagine." She answered, the beginnings of a smile on her own face.

Things got better after that, not perfect, wasn't sure we would ever be friends, but still, better. There were introductions all around, and we even had a peaceful chat. The part that surprised me the most was perhaps the total lack of reaction those watching (particularly the Nova Corps) had when Loki shed his 'Lucia' facade. Then again, they were probably used to different things than humans. The part that seemed to surprise the Guardians the most was our complete lack of reaction to Drax's past history, or most specifically, my lack of reaction.

"I may not exactly agree with what you did." I did my best to explain when I realized they weren't going to move on from that. "But I totally agree with your reasons. If anyone dared hurt my family, my children… hurting others go against my instincts, being both an Empath and a Healer, but I will always do anything to protect my own."

"Hence your own reaction to Gamora." Peter Quill, Star-Lord, nodded, mostly to himself.

"Not my brightest moment, I'll admit." I shrugged a bit, I wasn't going to apologize for being protective of my love. "We've been worried about Thanos or one of his minions finding us… hence the facade; and with how things have been the last two weeks…"

"It must have been torture, feeling all that pain..." Gamora murmured quietly in understanding.

"More than you'll ever know." I admitted. "It also reminded me of past pains… and thus, when I laid eyes on you… I reacted without even thinking about it."

"At least you're not the kind to attack first, ask questions later." Peter quipped.

Yeah, that wouldn't have been good.

We parted ways later on that day, each of us climbing into our respective ships and taking off. The Guardians to… wherever destiny took them; and us… we headed straight to Knowhere (Thanos's trace finally gone from the area… we could only hope he hadn't found whatever it was he'd been looking for), and to the Collector: Taneleer Tivan.

 **xXx**

We did take a vacation. My love insisted that, whatever might be awaiting us in Knowhere, we deserved to take a break from the mess that had been Xandar, so we went to the first nice-looking planet we found and spent some time there; first few days doing nothing except relax, and later on amusing ourselves with whatever we found. It was nice.

We made it to Knowhere eventually. The first thing I thought when I saw the place was that it might have been a good thing that we chose to take our time. Something had happened there at some point, I had no idea what, but whatever it might have been, the place was still a disaster.

"Ah… the Thalill..." The white haired man called in a very dramatic tone. "What an honor it is to receive such beautiful ladies..."

I had no words for him, really, all I could think about was the still-half-destroyed mess surrounding us. There were traces of power, incredible power…

*It was an Infinity Stone.* My love informed. *I've no idea what happened here, exactly. But this destruction… it was caused by an Infinity Stone.*

*Perhaps the very one being kept under lock and key by Nova Prime.* I offered.

No one had told us about that, but it would have been impossible not to feel the traces of the power, especially when we managed to pass the patrols and go to where the last part of the battle against Ronan had actually taken place… Most Xandarians hadn't understood what was happening, had seen nothing beyond flashing lights, and what looked like the beginnings of an explosion that could have taken out the whole city/planet, if it hadn't been for the Guardians' timely interference.

"I know I'm not at my best right now, nor is my once beautiful archive." The man went on, speaking and moving with a flair worthy of the most extravagant theater actor. "But tell me, what it is you've come to offer me..."

"It's more something you have that we want." My match said in return, voice sharp.

"And what may that be?" The Collector was clearly taken aback by that, though he did his best to hide it from his face (nothing he could have done about the emotions running through him, though).

"Information." My love stated. "Everything you have on the Infinity Stones…"

"And on those who might be connected, or interested in them." I added.

We knew we couldn't ask for information about Thanos directly, it would have been as good as announcing our intentions, and that was too dangerous, especially in a galaxy where Thanos held as much power as he did in Andromeda; considering that even with the barely, somewhat 'suspended' Kree-Nova War (no one believed the 'cease fire' would last for long), most inhabitants all around still saw Thanos as the bigger threat…

"And what might you have to offer in exchange for this, very valuable, information?" Tivan asked, eyes narrowed in consideration.

"I have units." My consort nodded. "Just tell me how much you want."

"No, not units." The Collector decided. "I have way too many of those already, I'm more interested in things I may add to my collection."

"And what could we possibly have that you may want to add to your collection?" I couldn't help the shiver of dread that ran through me.

"Rumors have reached me, from many different, quite trustworthy sources, of a voice that is brighter than even the light of the very stars." He commented, eyes boring into us both. "The Songstress, with the most beautiful voice in all known galaxies."

I blinked, I hadn't been expecting that one.

"You will not have her voice, or mine." My Maverick stated, refusing to reveal just yet who it was that possessed said voice.

"No! Of course not." Tivan shook his head like crazy. "It would be a crime, to deprive the universe of such beauty… no, I would ask for one song."

My beloved and I turned to look at one another, a whole conversation flashing between us without need for a single word to be pronounced, inside or outside of our bond. We both had exactly the same reservations, having no idea what Tivan might intend to do with that song. Then again, since I'd be the one doing the singing, I believed I might be able to control what kind of magic was entwined into it, what Tivan would have access to it. Wasn't exactly sure, neither was Loki; the only thing we were both sure of, was that no song of mine (of ours) could ever be used to hurt, my soul, the origins of my power, would never allow it. So maybe that would have to be enough.

*It is up to you my love.* Was the only thing my match did say. *It might be our magic, but it shall be your voice, my Nightingale.*

I knew he would accept whatever decision I made, he was supportive like that. And while a part of me still had doubts about the Collector (a being that had been so interested in the Infinity Stones, when he must have known Thanos would be after them sooner or later… I couldn't help but have my doubts about his reasons), we really needed the information he had. Even with all the time we'd spent traveling, we had yet to find out anything of particular importance, and there was no way of knowing for sure just how much time we might have left.

I did not need to give an answer, verbally or mentally, I knew my love could follow my line of thought to realize the moment I made up my mind.

"I'll do it." I announced out-loud. "One song, no more."

"Perfect!" Tivan sounded, honestly, absolutely thrilled at that.

He fished a recording crystal from stars-know-where, and in no time at all he was ready. The first thing I decided was that I wasn't going to sing anything about my match. There was no way I'd allow him to possess one of the testaments of our love, no way. The same applied to the songs I'd created for other loved ones; which left me in a quandary, though thankfully not for long.

In the end the song I sang wasn't one of my old ones. Yet it was still exactly what I needed to sing right then. After spending weeks fighting against myself, to keep all my doubts, my fear, my horror at bay so I may instead focus on helping those who'd suffered so. Pushing myself beyond what most other Empaths would have been willing to endure, because not helping would have been worse in the end. I needed to vent, I needed to let out everything I'd been bottling up over the past too many days, so that's exactly what I did then. I took a deep breath, focused, and then began singing:

"Petals of white

Cover fields flowing in grieving tears

And all the hearts once new, old and shattered now

Love can kill, love will die

Give me wings to fly

Fleeing this world so cold

I just wonder why"

"Cold as the dark

Now my words, are frosted with every breath

Still the hate burns wild, growing inside this heart

When the wind changes course, when the stars align

I will reach out to you and leave this all behind

When heavens divide"

I remembered the war… many people knew of course that my love and I had 'served' during WWII. We had talked about it before, what most did not realize, was that when I spoke of war, I didn't just meant the two years we'd been at the front. That may have been the part of the war the world knew of, the part many were made to answer for. But then, those same people chose to believe that the war ended in 1945 and that was that… I didn't begrudge them that, some of them might be naive, and some perhaps simply wanted some flimsy truth so hold onto in order not to face the terrifying truth: that war never ended, not truly; not for any of the people who'd been unlucky enough to be part of one and at the same time fortunate (or not) enough, to survive to go back home at the 'end' of it.

"When heavens divide

I will see the choices within my hands

How can we ever protect and fight with our tiny souls

Let me shine like the sun through the doubts and fear

Do you feel the storm approach as the end draws near"

"When heavens divide

Time will come to softly lay me down

Then I can see her face that I long to see

And for you, only you I would give anything

Leaving a trace for love to find a way

When heavens divide"

I never understood war, not before I was part of one, and certainly not afterwards. What was the point? All those people dead, all the mothers, fathers, siblings, daughters, sons… all the people left to cry the loss of their loved ones, the families broken, the hearts shattered… What was the point of war? I got the formal explanations, how one was meant to fight for their freedom, for their rights, for peace… I wasn't insensible to that, I was quite willing to fight to protect those I loved after all. And yet war… could anyone really call themselves victorious at the end of something like that? After so much blood and tears had been spilled on both sides? I'd also wondered if, by the end, people even remembered at all what it was they began fighting for in the first place. I never dared ask them that.

"I will dive into the fire

Spilling the blood of my desire

The very last time

My name scorched into the sky"

Hakon… our son, he thought we didn't understand him, his desire to join the military. That we believed him to be naive, or too much of an idealist… It wasn't that. I knew why he wanted to join. I too saw the camaraderie, the brotherhood between Steve, Sia and the Howling Commandos, they were the kind of team, the kind of family everyone would love to be a part of. But did he really need to go to war to find that family? Who knows? Perhaps he just was meant to be there, all the people, the mutants he managed to save, both in battle and from Stryker and Trask certainly proved it.

"When heavens divide

I will see the choices within my hands

How can we ever protect and fight with our tiny souls

Let me shine like the sun through the doubts and fear

Do you feel the storm approach as the end draws near"

"When heavens divide

Time will come to softly lay me down

Then I can see the face that I long to see

And for you, only you I would give anything

Leaving a trace for love to find a way

When heavens divide"

I didn't notice when tears began falling from my eyes, it didn't seem important in the grand scheme of things. Singing was cathartic to me, had always been, and in that moment the song was also serving another purpose, it'd be currency for us to get what we wanted, what we needed to hopefully avoid yet another war, the kind of war our world might never recover from (that our world might not survive at all). I would fight it, if necessary, of course I would, but I'd rather it did not come to that, and I knew every person to have ever set foot on a battle field would think exactly the same thing.

"And for you, only you I would give anything

Leaving a trace for love to find a way

When heavens divide"

The song came to an end, Tivan was absolutely delighted, and we got the information we wanted. It was actually a lot more than we were expecting, it'd take a while to sift through it all. See what might be truly useful. But that was alright. At least we had something.

"This will work." My match whispered into my ear as we left Knowhere. "It will not come to war, not this time."

I hoped, with all my heart, that he was right. There was nothing else we could do for the time being, really, nothing except hope.

 **xXx**

It was until we arrived to the next planet, a quaint little place called Eos, that we realized our pack held more than just the collection of discs the Collector had copied his information on the Infinity Stones into (discs were more basic than crystals, and much less expensive). The other thing in the pack though was, indeed, a crystal (though not one for recording), one Tivan had no put there. At first sight it looked like a fist-sized piece of semi-translucent quartz of no particular color. I wasn't sure what it was, but something about it fascinated me, I took it in my hand, turning it this way and that. Ever so slowly, something seemed to appear in the center of it, made me focus my stare, trying to see more clearly. I didn't quite realize what was going on, and then there were suddenly images in the crystal, barely little more than flashes, yet I couldn't help but catch them anyway:

 _There was Hakon, in military clothes, his insignia being two stars, and he was shaking hands with a green-eyed brunette in an air-force uniform with an insignia of a single star… There was Helena, in her favorite violet and blue gown, standing beside her match as everyone around them cheered him for some reason… There was Rose in her X-Woman bodysuit and red-leather boots, bent over a table, signing her title at the end of a document, surrounded by many people, gifted and not… The Guardians facing a gold-skinned enemy, only for Peter to unexpectedly go flying backwards after a blow to his collarbone… A wormhole among the stars, and a swarm, a veritable army, rushing into it, ready to attack whatever might be awaiting them on the other side… My love and I, staring at a small, so innocuous-looking blue jewel… Clashing, explosions, and somewhere Skye was crying out for people to brace themselves, a moment before everything began shaking… A red-skinned humanoid being in a blue-gray bodysuit and a golden cape, twisting on the ground as a claw-like appendage reached to the being's forehead, to the golden jewel shining there…_

The visions came to a stop when the crystal was taken from my hands, though it still took me more than a few seconds to return to reality fully and understand what was going on. My Maverick had enveloped the object in a piece of an old, ruined cloak, making sure not to so much as graze it with his bare skin. Then, after putting it away (in a pack, in one of the ship's compartments, instead of the subspace pockets we both favored), he went to kneel before me (I didn't even notice when I ended on the ground, exactly), there he held my hands in his, and he waited.

"Fintalëharyon..." I was still so out of it I didn't even notice when I spoke Elvish.

"Easy A'maelamin." He responded in the same language. "Take it easy. Everything's alright."

"What was that?" I was still trying to process everything I'd just seen.

"The Crystal of Neahtid." He answered, soberly. "It's a mystical artifact, believed by many to be mythical as well. According to legend, at the beginning of creation magic was born in a cave made entirely of crystal, and as the universe expanded crystals broke off, spreading through the stars, carrying each a different piece of magic… it's why magic is do different from one world to another, and sometimes even in the same world. When the universe balanced, there was a final piece of crystal left, it held the magic of Prophecy; it's believed to be the source of every single vision, dream, prophecy, etcetera that precogs across the galaxies have had, or will ever have… of course, since the Crystal itself was believed to be a myth there's no way to actually know if that's true..."

"And my… the visions?" I wanted… needed to know that. "Are they true?"

"They're but fragments of visions. Our magic made the crystal react, but as neither of us possess the Sight, our understanding of things is limited. I cannot even know if purposefully trying to use it would help or just made things worse."

"Then we'll leave it as a last resource." I decided.

He agreed, though neither of us were quite sure if we'd rather it be necessary, or not at all. The future had always been such a fickle thing… as we'd learned through our time-travel. Really, some things just weren't meant to be known, and yet… with a threat like Thanos in our future, could we really afford not to use every resource at our disposal? Only time would tell.

* * *

This fic... it was originally supposed to be a sort-of filler, or a bridge. Something to allow me to get everyone to where they needed to be for the final confrontation against Thanos. Then... things kept growing. Those who read my works will know I once said nothing like Civil War would ever happen in this verse, later on I came to understand why at least some of it, needed to happen. I worked that in this, as well as some other things.

Originally I was going to make a single long work for this arc, but then I realized that if I did that, some important, climatic things that happen in this first 'half' would be seen as less, when compared to what's still to come. So I decided to split it. Hope it works.

The theme for this fic are colors. Each chapter is named for one, and there's a reason for that, which is hinted at in the intro-line. Also the whole idea of things needing to burn so others may take their place is important in many ways. It's been years since the series began, the characters have grown, and this fic, possibly more than in any other before, it shows.

As always, full-sized cover/poster and set of wallpapers can be found in DA, I go by Princess-Lalaith there.

This fic will be updated every weekend.

Don't forget to review! See ya!


	2. Green

So, the next three chapters (this one included) may seem a bit confusing, as they're all almost happening at the same time. It starts with a funeral and ends with a phone call, a lapse of three months or so. The reason why I did it that way is because, like I explained before, in this fic each chapter is narrated by one person, and I decided it was easier this way, rather than to keep switching perspectives. I think I give enough information for you all not to get too confused, but if it's too bad let me know and I'll try to make it better.

Dreamcast for this chapter (only the ones who're important enough to appear in more than just a scene): Skandar Keynes as Hakon, Georgie Henley as Rose Alfdis, Rosamund Pike as Harry Watson.

The song for this chapter is "Live like Legends" as sung by Ruelle (though I only actually include the first couple of verses and the finale).

* * *

 **Green (Hakon)**

Youth and Experience each have their place and together they shape the world…

Marge Sholto, nee Carter, passed away on a Friday, at the end of Spring of 2019. She passed away with no complication, in her sleep; it was discovered early the following morning, when one of the nurses in the home went to see her and was unable to wake her up for her medication. Harriet Watson, being her granddaughter and next-of-kin was contacted right away by the people in charge. She in turn made the necessary calls, not just to her younger brother, but also to everyone else she felt needed to know. She had a special category in her contacts list, of numbers she had never before used used but were still there in case of an emergency. It included her contact to the remaining families of the once Howling Commandos: Gabe Jones's grandson: Antoine Tripplet, her 'sister': Sharon Carter-Rogers, Captain America himself: Steve Rogers, Marge's godson: Tony Stark and, of course, myself: Hakon Salani-Hvedrungr.

After expressing our condolences and making sure all arrangements had been made (there was a bit of an argument between Trip, Tony, Sharon and John (Harry's younger brother) regarding who should pay for everything… until it was discovered that everything was paid for already, had been for a long time. With that settled, there was one last topic of conversation.

"The time has come." Steve announced straight out.

None of us really needed him to elaborate on that, we knew exactly what he meant. I thought he was absolutely insane.

"Are you sure?" Pepper Potts-Stark, Tony's wife (and CEO of Stark Industries) asked, completely flabbergasted by Steve's declaration. "Marge just died and..."

"Exactly." Sharon stated, softly but firmly. "Marge just died, this is our last chance. She deserves for the world to know who she truly was, what she's done. Her family deserve to have the chance to be proud of everything she accomplished, of the hero she was in the war, she, not who she pretended to be for the last… too many years."

"What the hell is going on here?" Trip demanded, completely serious.

He was probably the only one in the room who had no idea what we were talking about. Then again, even at the beginning, only Sholto and Dugan had known what was going on, and while it was necessary for Marge's own family to know the truth, so they might help protect the secret, it had been Dugan's own choice not to share it with his own family, or anyone else's. Even Tony himself had not known until a certain meeting in a cemetery in DC, back in 2016, when Steve and Sharon decided to come clean to him and everyone else present that day.

"I'm very sorry Trip..." Sharon whispered very softly, before straightening up and adding in a dead-serious tone. "I am Margaret Sharon Carter-Rogers… I am Agent 13, of SHIELD, and the SSR… I am the woman the world once knew as Peggy Carter…"

Tripplet was beyond shocked, and that was just the start.

 **xXx**

The funeral was scheduled for Sunday at noon in Winchester Cathedral, in Hampshire, UK, as per Marge's wishes. It was the same church where she'd married Jacob all those years prior… Steve and Sharon, for their part, decided to make their own revelation in a press conference on Saturday. It was only right, so the world might learn the shocking truth and get over it by the time of the actual funeral, or that was the plan at least.

All representatives of the press began practically salivating the moment they saw just who was waiting for them inside the biggest meeting room in the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire: Steve and Sharon Carter-Rogers (while those two hadn't hidden their marriage, neither had they ever answered any press questions about it), Tony and Pepper Potts-Stark, Antoine Tripplet; they didn't recognize Harry Watson, and we'd managed to convince John and Sherlock Watson-Holmes to stay out of it for the time being; Mycroft Holmes was there in representation of the British Government, as Peggy (and more importantly, Marge) had earned more than a few medals in her lifetime; and then there was me, though most of the world knew me by my latest legal identity, that of Macbeth Grayson, rather than as Hakon Salani-Hvedrungr. The rest of my family (meaning my sisters, their partners and Rose's adopted daughter and friends, as our parents were still off-planet) were around, but keeping out-of-sight, much like John and Sherlock.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen." It was I who took charge of things, not only because I was considerably better prepared than some of the others present at the head table, but also because I was probable the only one present who knew the whole story. "My name, as I'm sure all of you know, is Macbeth Grayson, you may call me Mac..."

There was no stage, and all the chairs had been arranged in a loose circle, so things might seem more cozy, and also to allow a certain degree of informality to the whole affair. There were at least two dozen reporters present, most of them had at least a photographer or some other assistant with them; all together they represented the media of more than half a dozen different countries, the US, Britain and France included among those.

"I'm sure you all have some idea about what we're all doing here, things you might believe you'll hear, or want to hear." I went on. "Let me tell you exactly what's going on. We're here so you might hear a story, a story of two women. Two very brave women who did more for the world, than most have ever known… until now."

If anyone was confused by the way I… we, were handling things, no one said a thing about it. They just sat back and waited.

"Lets start with the one who's better known: Peggy Carter." I announced. "Born Margaret Sharon Carter, on April 9th, 1919." I couldn't help but notice when at least two of those present opened their mouths to say something. "I know those of you who've researched Marge Sholto's life will tell me I'm wrong… just bare with me please. It will all become clear, I promise." I smiled at them. "Moving on…"

No one said anything as I went into a brief summary of Peggy's early life, most of it was well-documented, from her family life, to her decision to serve in the war, her brief time as a code-breaker, and then when the SSR had recruited her…

"It was in late 1942 that the first woman of our story, first came across our second." I announced. "Her name was Marguerite Elisabeth Cartier. A member of the french resistance, a freedom fighter, some called her. Marguerite was a french singer who, completely by accident, happened to come across valuable information, and despite the danger towards herself, she chose to do the right thing and pass on that information to the Allies. And it wasn't even one time, she eventually became officially a spy, posing as a singer or even a courtesan in various clubs where known Nazi soldiers and sympathizers were known to gather." I made a pause, before remembering something else: "She was no prostitute, there was no need for that. She was good at gaining information, at slipping into places and discovering secrets. She was captured a number of times, but Marguerite was good, she managed to escape. Except for the last time. In the Fall of 1944… fortunately, a small group of Howling Commandos, lead by Agent Serrure, rescued her then, along with several other prisoners, while they were en-route to a top-secret location for interrogation." Everyone knew I meant torture, there was really no need to be any more explicit than that. "Even then, Marguerite had been had, she couldn't go back to France, so she stayed in London, helping at the SSR HQs. She became good friends with Peggy and some of the Howling Commandos."

We had argued a bit about who should tell the next part. Steve had wanted to do it himself, same with Sharon, but in the end it'd been decided that it was better if I handled the entirety of the story, before allowing for questions.

"On February 4th of 1945 Steve Rogers married Peggy Carter in a secret ceremony, lead and witnessed by their closest friends."

That sentence caused absolute pandemonium. Phrases and questions shouted left and right. I said nothing, we said nothing. Waiting nearly ten minutes before the reporters finally came to the conclusion that we wouldn't go on until they'd all shut up.

"Questions may be asked once I'm finished, and not before." I stated for good measure before getting back to the story. "A month later, the attack on HYDRA HQs took place, ending with Captain America sacrificing himself to prevent several bombs from reaching America, crashing the Red Skull's plane somewhere in the Arctic. We all know that. The whole world knows that. There are things, however, that very few have known, things that must now come to light. The ceremony where Steve and Peggy were wed was no traditional ceremony, it was magical. The two of them… they were very much in love, and they wanted a guarantee that if the worst were to happen, they would find their way back to each other. Now, I'm sure many of you must believe me to be crazy, that I'm making it all up. I'm not, I know beyond a shadow of doubt that everything happened as I'm saying… I know because I was there..."

That one caused another mess, thankfully a shorter one, as the reporters recognized that the same rules still applied.

"I know you all know me as Mac, but I was born Hakon Serrure, son of Luke Serrure, and step-son to Arianna Stark-Serrure, Howard Stark's half-sister." We'd decided that, at least for the time being, the simplified version of the story was easier than going into magic and time-travel. "I was seven years old when my family joined the war efforts. Uncle Howard as an engineer, building planes and weapons, my father worked closely with him. My dad's sister: Sia Serrure, joined the SSR as an Agent, while my mother served as a nurse and later on as an interpreter as well. I got the opportunity to meet wonderful people. Steve Rogers and the Commandos… they're the reason why I joined the army myself as soon as I got my law degree, in the fifties; where I served for twenty years, including several years in Vietnam."

I knew that would confer me a certain degree of respect from those present… at least if they believed what I was saying was true. Then again, my service was no secret, they'd be able to find the records easily enough, so I had no fear about them calling me a liar.

"When the wedding took place… the ceremony was magical." I had some trouble explaining all they needed to know, without trying to explain concepts like matches, actual soulmates, soul-bonds and reincarnation to a bunch of humans who, for the most part, wouldn't really care about such things. "We knew from the start that there would be consequences. In order to achieve what Peggy wanted, a chance for them to be together again were the worst to happen… that was always going to have consequences. Still, we could have never prepared for what actually happened. After Steve was lost in the Arctic… Peggy began weakening. It wasn't too noticeable at first, she ate and slept more than was usual, but most thought that, with the end of the war so near, with so few missions being carried out anymore, she was just taking a chance to rest, finally. We were wrong."

I hadn't been part of the proceedings directly back then, considering my age, but it was easier phrasing it that way, rather than try to have them connect to people who weren't in the room (namely my parents).

"Eventually the truth became clear, the fact that Steve wasn't dead, but he was lost to us, and whatever had happened to him, it was dragging Peggy down as well." I went on. "On the good side, it meant that somehow, miraculously, Steve was still alive. On the downside, we were going to lose Peggy, and had no way of possibly explaining that to anyone outside of our little group. See, they didn't know that my parents were… gifted. Oh, those in the front knew, of course, more than a few had seen what they, and aunt Sia could do, but they'd never tell. And the world… we did not believe the world was ready, not yet." I made a point not to give them time to linger on that. "Steve Rogers was lost to us, Peggy Carter was on the way to being the same. There was nothing that could be done about it… but we just didn't believe it to be right. The world couldn't lose both of them. And so, a plan was made."

I was quite sure that by that point at least a few must have realized already where I was going with the whole thing. It still needed to be said, though.

"The minds behind the plan were: Howard Stark, Arianna Stark-Serrure, Luke Serrure, Dum Dum Dugan, Jacob Sholto, of course Peggy Carter and… Marguerite Cartier." There it was. "With the war nearing its end, requests had been made to the French government to allow protection for Miss Cartier, she feared for her life and her reputation, after her actions during the war. Our requests were denied. Even before it was all over, already some countries were doing their best to hide what some of their own had done. Miss Cartier fell into that category. It's impossible to know what exactly it was they objected to, the fact she was a woman, a spy, or her playing the part of a courtesan…" Officially we knew nothing, of course, but most of us had our suspicions. "Miss Cartier also requested asylum from the British Government, that too was denied. The government didn't believe her claims of her life being in danger, they chose to focus their resources in those they believed needed it the most." I didn't want to demonize anyone, war had been hard on many countries, including the UK, still, knowing Marguerite meant her case had hit close to home for us all. "I'm sure by this point most of you know what it is I'm going to say next. While not identical, Marguerite Cartier looked enough like Peggy to pass for her if necessary. And so arrangements were made. Miss Cartier was reported dead, one among many refugees to fall prey to sickness in the bases, it was sadly common. And then Peggy Carter fell asleep, not to wake up, and Marge took her place."

Everyone noticed the shift in name, and I was quite sure some people might begin to realize some things. Like the reason for the different date of birth (Marge had actually been two years younger than Peggy, though at that age, such differences weren't too obvious, and records from back then were easily changed, specially in the aftermath of war).

That part of the story was particularly important, because it wasn't just about Marge taking Peggy's place. It wasn't about there having been a fake Peggy… because Marge had been a heroine in her own right during the war, and afterwards… well, everything that had happened after the day Peggy fell asleep had been all Marge. She was the one who served as an Agent for the SSR for decades following the war, both in Britain and the States, she was one of the founders of SHIELD… we wouldn't be going into the matter of Shannon Carter, things were complicated enough without introducing that particular detail, but still.

It was easy enough to summarize the following years, they were public record for the most part… except for some missions, but it wasn't like I was going to go into classified information either.

"Marge Carter and Jacob Sholto married in the fifties, as everyone knows." I continued. "He knew the truth of course. They had two children: Stephanie and James. It was their daughter who was tasked with carrying the secret, and eventually Stephanie's own daughter: Harriet Watson." the blonde woman raised her hand silently, clarifying her identity and reason for her presence. "For decades the world believed two women to be one, and that was the way it had to be. For the sleeping Peggy Carter had to be protected from those who might not understand what had happened to her and, as we eventually discovered, from those who would destroy her in order to destroy Steve Rogers as well."

We hadn't quite agreed on the HYDRA thing. The success of the Alliance meant that most of the worlds, those not gifted, or involved with them, or with any of the agencies and groups involved, knew very little about what had gone down during that week, aside from what had been said during the very public trials. And for some time we believed it was better that way, no need to make civilians fear things they couldn't have changed anyway. Still, it was relevant in that moment.

"I don't know when some people first began to suspect that HYDRA might not be fully gone." I admitted softly. "Truth is, there is evil in this world beyond that of HYDRA, we all know that. Still, I first knew, for sure, that they had managed to endure, back in the nineties. I realized, like others did, that they were laying low, burrowing into groups and organizations, biding their time, preparing to strike. So we did the same, it's why the Alliance was created. In order to fight HYDRA effectively, when the time came. We couldn't tell Steve, when he was found, not right away, but eventually he learned the truth." I couldn't help but smile. "That was on me actually. It's why I took the name of Macbeth Grayson and went into SHIELD, so I might do my part, be where I would be needed when the time came. Of course, everyone knows already what happened that day, in 2016. The whole world learned of it as soon as it began, and when it ended..."

SHIELD's War, was what the world called it. Though, was it a war when we never gave it a chance to truly begin? I had no idea, probably not. I had been in a war, after all, it had been nothing like that. Then again, considering all the nightmares I still had about Vietnam that was probably not a bad thing…

"What happened to Peggy Carter?"

The question came from the youngest reporter in the group. A blonde girl with a pixie cut and electric blue tips, I remembered she was from a website, rather than a channel or paper. Apparently she'd decided to take my extended silence as signal that the story was over. Truth was I'd been pondering how exactly to explain the next part, when she, and a certain someone else, decided to take the matter entirely out of my hands.

"I woke up."

Three words, that's all that was needed, and all eyes were instantly on the blonde sitting beside Captain America. It wasn't like they hadn't noticed her before, or like they didn't know who she was. Sharon Carter-Rogers was enough of a public figure, both before and after the revelation of her marriage to the all-American hero, after all. Still, it was obvious that no one had yet made the leap from that, to the fascinating (and quite unbelievable) truth.

"The same day Steve Rogers woke up in a SHIELD base in NY, I woke up in a room in an old townhouse in the outskirts of London." Sharon elaborated quietly. "Harriet found me there later that day, thanks to a system Howard Stark arranged when I first went to sleep in 1945. She told me how much time had passed, and then she found Hakon and got him to me. It was him who told me about Steve, and why exactly I couldn't go to him right away. He told me about HYDRA, and about the Alliance. And so I decided to do my part as well, I took the name of Sharon Carter, Harry allowed me to pretend to be her sister… and so Mac and I went into SHIELD. Eventually we brought Steve up to speed and we did what we do best: we fought for what's right."

"So you're saying… you're saying you're actually Peggy Carter?" The disbelief in the Times reporter was quite obvious.

"My real name, my full name, is Margaret Sharon Carter-Rogers." The blonde announced seriously. "I know I've lied, for a long time. I also know it is hard to believe that I am telling the truth right now, but we are. Blood tests have been taken, finger-prints, everything can be verified. I am who I say I am."

"Why do all this?" The French reporter wanted to know. "Why now?"

"Because Marguerite deserved to be remembered, to be honored, for everything she did, for being her, and not just for what she did as me." Sharon did her best to explain. "Everything after the war was her, and that's easy enough. But even before… she was a very bright and incredibly brave woman, who risked her life time and again, because she believed it was right, she did it to help, to protect, and people need to know. The world must know that people like her existed. Marguerite Cartier deserves to be more than just a name in a list off casualties."

Yes, she did. Despite what some of the more cynical might believe, I knew the whole reveal wasn't really about Sharon, or Steve. They could have gone on as they were, easily enough. They'd already endured the gossip about Steve marrying the granddaughter of his first love… it's not like it could have gotten any worse. But they hadn't done it for themselves, but for Marge, and to a lesser degree, for Harry and even John as well, so they, and the world, might finally know the truth. Too many brave women had been erased from history as it was, their good deeds either trivialized or outright forgotten. But Marguerite Cartier-Sholto would no longer be one of those women.

 **xXx**

The funeral took place as planned. It was a very beautiful ceremony and everyone (including the press) was very respectful of everything. Tony made sure that every plaque and announcement had the name as Marge Sholto, rather than Peggy Carter. He'd never agreed with those who'd wanted to use that name, knowing that Marge had been much more than just Peggy (or her stand-in). It was Harry who gave the eulogy, and then Steve, Sharon, Tony and Tripplet took a moment to speak up about her. Then Mycroft took the stand to list all the awards Marge had had, including a recognition, soon to become an award from the French government. Apparently the current president had given the order to unseal a lot of files recently and a team assigned by him was in the process of giving recognition who a lot of people who hadn't had it, including several unsung heroes from WWII.

There was quite a procession from the church to the cemetery, where Marge would be joining her husband, daughter and son-in-law in the family plot. As those present paid their last respects I couldn't help but notice that most of those present placed lilies over the grave, of all kinds and colors, or irises. The only ones to differ were Harry Watson, who'd placed a bouquet of Gourdon Flowers from Marge's old garden, while Rose placed a single dark crimson rose, from mourning. My little sister had always taken the meaning of flowers very seriously.

We were on our way out, with most people going their own way, when an instinct called an alert inside my own head. Since infancy I'd taken more to my jotun inheritance than my elven one; I did retain some things from my birth-mother though, like the passive empathy all elves possessed. Most of the time I paid very little attention to it, it sharpened my instincts, allowed me to react faster and to better judge people; other than that, it didn't do much for me in my every day life. In that moment though, I knew something was off.

It took no time for me to find Harry. She was standing in her black skirt-suit and red pumps (both a sign of defiance and, in certain ways, a confirmation that she was very much Marge Sholto's granddaughter). I did not recognize the redhead accosting her, in a black dress that was barely this side of proper for a funeral. She was definitely accosting her though, I wasn't just sensing Harry's stress, I could see it, once I truly laid eyes on her.

"Harry!" I called, forcing myself not to adopt a threatening posture. "Sorry for interrupting. I was afraid I might have missed you and I really need you to drive me to the house. The others will be waiting for us by now."

"Oh..." She definitely knew we'd made no such plans, but Harry was clever and fast on her feet. "Of course. Sorry, I'm afraid I've been distracted."

"That's perfectly understandable." I assured her. "So, should we be in our way?"

"Harry..." The redhead began, extending a hand towards the blonde.

I couldn't miss the way Harry tensed all over again. Deciding that the time for subtleties was past, I slipped in between the two, taking Harry's arm and looping it through mine as I directed her towards the car. Calling some half-assed apology neither of us paid any mind to, towards the redhead.

Harry waited until we were in her car to ask what I was doing.

"I know you brought your car." She pointed out, eventually.

"I did." I shrugged. "I can pick it up tomorrow. I saw you and decided you might need a bit of assistance in getting away. Who was that anyway?"

"Clara, my ex-wife."

I did not ask any questions. I wasn't going to doubt my decision of getting her out of there; I had felt her tension, and even the hint of relief at getting away. I waited for her to speak.

"When we divorced… it wasn't pretty." She grimaced, showing it had been more than 'not pretty'. "She said things about me, accused me of being a drunk, and of cheating on her. Neither which was true. She wanted to know why I would disappear on her every so often, and I never told her."

"When you checked on Peggy..."

"Yes."

"You could have told her the truth, you know? I mean, if she was your wife..."

"Your mum and da' told me the same thing. And I'll tell you what I told them. My ma' made me promise. She'd trusted my father with the family secret, it did not go well. She made me promise that I would never tell anyone, no matter what. Also… if Clara had loved me as much as she claimed to, as much as I loved her, she'd have believed me when I told her I wasn't cheating. She certainly knew I wasn't drinking, yet that didn't stop her from flinging that accusation at me, and it wasn't even just in private either. I eventually had to leave my old buffet because of her. Things turned out good for me, I began my own law-firm, and I've got a lot of clients now. I'm quite sure your parents were behind at least a few of them…" She chuckled. "I might have loved Clara very much once, but that was years ago, Johnny has now been married longer than I ever was and… I've seen him and Sherlock, the way those two look at each other, like the whole world, the whole universe, begins and ends with and in one another… I want someone to look at me that way."

And wasn't that what we all wanted?

Unbidden, an image came to my mind, of a certain rogue with very short dark hair and beard, sharp claw-like nails… the image was followed by a slight tingle on the back of my shoulders, a part of me could still remember the last nails those claws had touched my back, it made me shiver. However, what I remembered most clearly were bright, almost cat-like gray eyes looking at me, a wild expression hidden in their depths…

Yes, Harry was definitely right, that was what we all wanted…

 **xXx**

There was a mostly private thing that evening, an early dinner meant for those closest to Marge. That included of course Harry, John and Sherlock, and the invitation had been extended to Mycroft and his own wife: Anna, as well. It was Mycroft who approached me after the meal was over and most people began chatting in small groups:

"Where are your parents?" He asked me quietly. "I'd have thought they'd be here. After all, Mrs. Sholto was their friend, wasn't she?"

"She was, indeed." I nodded. "They're still off planet. Even if they could come back, they probably wouldn't have..."

"Could?!" I could pick up the alarm in the politician's voice, even as he did his best to disguise it.

"Must you take everything as a matter of life and death?" I asked in a drawl, eyebrow arched. "I didn't mean it the way you took it."

"How then?" Mycroft half-demanded.

While I might not have been too close to truly listen in on the conversation between John, Sherlock and Rose, I'd managed to hear enough to know the past couple of years had been no picnic for the Holmes family.

"I know that the concept of space-travel in the scale my parents have undertaken is an alien concept to most humans, but you need to understand that while the means for such travel exist, it's not fast, not at all." I did my best to explain. "The routes are long, and twisting. Also, due to the risks my parents decided not to take the more direct routes."

"Risks…?" Mycroft tensed again. "You mean the alien threat Serrure mentioned once."

"Yes." I didn't see the point in hiding the fact. "The Mad Titan is a very real threat. Something every member of the Alliance is very aware of. We stand guard, ready to defend the planet should it ever be necessary."

"And shouldn't Arianna and Serrure be here to do the same?"

"We know what Thanos wishes to do, and how he intends to do it." He was aware of it too, or at least some of it, I knew, Helena had insisted on him needing to know, to be able to help as needed when the time came. "My parents are seeking whatever information we might be missing, that could help us defeat Thanos without risking this world and its inhabitants. Rose also believes that, if worse comes to worst, they might be able to find some allies for the upcoming war."

"So there is a war coming?"

"We don't know. But if you want my opinion, it's better to be prepared."

Much as I might hope for Mama and Papa's success on their journey. I understood, just like Mycroft did, that it was better to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Also, Rose had been more than a little jumpy lately; instinct told me she'd seen something, something big, and more than a little 'not good', as John would say.

 **xXx**

It had been four weeks since Marge's funeral when Rose went looking for me in my condo in San Francisco. Even before she said a word I knew something was definitely off. The sense was coming off my little sister in waves, along with many other feelings I couldn't quite grasp.

"What's going on little rose?" I asked, trying to cheer her up.

"How much dirt do you have on Thaddeus Ross?" She asked, straight out.

I knew then something was more than just off. Rose never let pass a chance to banter, and her name and title were both good topics for such. For her to have completely ignored my opening…

"Come again?" I couldn't help but ask.

"General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross." She clarified. "I need him buried… figuratively, of course. Betty would be aghast if it happened literally. Still, he's currently the Secretary of State, and that's not good. There are things coming our way, and if he's still there when they do… things will go very very wrong. So I need him buried, preferably through legal means; if not, I do know the three best hackers in the world. As long as he's still alive and in reasonable health by the end of it I'm pretty much willing to do anything."

"That bad, huh?"

"Hakon!"

Yes, it was that bad. Rose hardly ever lost her patience, she was one of the kindest people I knew… except when she was on a mission. And if she wasn't taking the time to give me even the cliff-notes version, then things must be really about to go to hell. Really, the last time she'd gotten like that… I might not have been around, but I'd heard Mama mention it more than once, the way Rosie had woken from one of her nightmare/visions, and pretty much straight out announced she and Willow (our adopted sister) were leaving. Less than a year later the Rose of Chaos had made her first appearance, in the middle of the Paris Peace Talks!

"I have enough." I finally told her. "And with a couple of calls to Nina and Matt I'm sure that we'll be able to put together even more."

"This is urgent Hakon, I need Ross gone yesterday!"

"I will make it happen."

I didn't ask her why she needed him gone so much. If time was of essence… she would tell me when things weren't so urgent anymore.

"Thanks big bro." She kissed my cheek before taking her leave.

Rose's little smile just before leaving told me that, no matter how bad things might seem, we were still in time to make it better. I had a feeling that if we weren't she would have gone see someone other than me… or perhaps she wouldn't have gone to see anyone, taking matters into her own hands. It wasn't something I liked to think about, but I knew my sister had killed before, never without a good reason, always seeking to save, to protect… I couldn't claim to have her moral code, I'd been to war after all, but I tried to do my best.

With all that in mind, I pulled out my phone with one hand and began making calls, first to Nina Reynolds (Willow's daughter and commonly known as the 'mutant lawyer'), and then to Matt Murdock (well known for his vehemence when defending those he believed deserved it… and a scarce few of us also knew he 'moonlighted' as the vigilante: the 'Devil of Hell's Kitchen'; at the same time I used the other one to begin pulling files from the encrypted section of my hard-drive. I had a mission to fulfill. Secretary Ross was going down!

 **xXx**

It turned out not to be quite as easy as I'd believed (hoped) it would be. Even with everything the three of us managed to put together, and at some point others had joined us, not all of them lawyers; Ross had made 'friends' and some of those were in very high places, including the president himself. That angered me. I knew what had happened in the Xavier Institute a bit over six years prior, Stryker's attack, Victor had told me all about it, I could only imagine what would have happened if Rosie hadn't been there…

Eventually we managed it, between all of us (an 'all' that ended including a lot more people than I ever expected). Nina and I took point, once everything was ready, and then it really began. The 'trial of the century'. It was in every media outlet, a hell of a mess, and it wasn't just Ross going down, but everyone who'd worked with him, been allied with him, who'd had more than five minutes contact with him. Probably the only reason his daughter Elizabeth didn't end up tainted by the whole thing was because she was also Bruce Banner's wife, and working for Tony Stark (and it was well-known how much she hated her father for what he'd done to Bruce, for what he might have done to Betty's own son if given the chance…).

Ross got lucky in the end, apparently he knew too many secrets, too many rich people's 'dirty laundry'; they couldn't even make him disappear, not with all the publicity his case had gotten. So instead he was dishonorably discharged and 'retired to the country'. It was probably the best case scenario, for him and for us.

I went to see Rose as soon as it was official, found her in her hotel room in Washington DC, where she'd been staying since the start of the trial, probably to keep a close eye on the proceedings. I was about to announce the news, though she probably already knew, when I realized she was singing…

"When it rains, it pours

There will be blood in the water

Cold to the core

Faith falls hard on our shoulders"

"This is our time

No turning back

We could live, we could live like legends

This is our time

No turning back

We could live, we could live like legends"

She interrupted herself, though I was quite sure that must have been but the beginnings of the song. I'd never heard it before, made me wonder if it was one of hers. I knew I was the only one in our family that did not sing, but my voice was one thing I had not inherited from my mother, singing just wasn't my thing, though I did like music, and knew how to play both acoustic and electric guitars, the bass and had basic knowledge of how to play a keyboard. All of them Papa had taught me, and Mama took great delight in being there, sometimes even adding vocals to one of the songs, it had been my favorite activity when I was young, before joining the army.

The army… it had changed so much, not just in me, but in all of us. I knew my parents never fully understood my choice of becoming a soldier. Though they supported me all the same, only insisting that I finish my education before enlisting, which wasn't a bad idea, really. Perhaps it was that they had seen things during WWII that I didn't, that made them not want to get involved again, while I only saw the parts that made me want to be part of it. I never idealized war itself, but I did idealize the brotherhood soldiers could find, teams like the Howling Commandos, I wanted that. There was a time when I thought it had been an impossible dream, and then the Vietnam War came, and my unit… I hated having to retire. At least I'd had the chance to help those who needed it again.

"Thank you." She whispered eventually.

"I hope this result will solve your troubles..." I offered.

I still did not know what had made her decide Ross needed getting rid off right then; though what we'd managed to find out would have convinced anyone it needed to happen.

"Not exactly." She admitted with a somewhat sheepish smile. "What I saw coming… it's still coming, there was never any hope of stopping it. I don't know how hard it might be now… what I do know, and did since I went looking for you in July, was just how bad it'd be if Ross was allowed to be involved." She took a deep breath. "With him there… I don't think the situation could have been salvaged. Without him… I hope the parties involved might listen to reason."

"You still won't tell me what is that's coming, exactly..." I realized.

"It's better if you don't know, for the time being at least." She admitted. "That way you won't have to lie, or pretend to be surprised."

I wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad one, but I trusted Rose, always had and always would. So I let it go.

We celebrated Ross's 'retirement' together. She obviously had been expecting me, as she had a bottle of my favorite whiskey, though we actually started with a shot of vodka, the purest vodka I'd ever tasted. It burnt my throat going down, I couldn't believe she had something like that, and the bottle was more than half empty! Before my mouth could even open to ask what the hell that was, I decided I probably didn't want to know. Rosie just chuckled, probably knowing everything that had gone through my mind… maybe not… the particulars of her gift had never been all that clear to me.

We celebrated for at least half the night, before eventually falling asleep. I ended on the fold-up bed, not so bad (I'd slept in much worst places, before, during, and after Vietnam). The ringing of a phone was what woke me up.

"H… Hello…?" I was so out of it I didn't even answer with my usual address, didn't even offer my name, either of them.

"Is this Colonel Serrure?" A very serious voice asked from the other end of the line.

Those words were enough to wake me up (and sober me up… though being half-jotun I didn't become drunk easily, or for very long); I hadn't been addressed by such a combination of words since my retirement in 1976.

"Yes, this is him." I answered eventually.

"Colonel, I am Gral. Higgins, I work for the Department of State, we'd like to see you at your earliest convenience." He informed me. "A car can be sent for you at the airport, or a plane, if you tell us where you are."

I couldn't help it, I turned to look straight at Rose, waiting for some kind of sign, I hadn't the slightest idea what the hell was going on. Why was a general calling me? And using my own last military rank! Rose didn't say a word, she just smiled; it wasn't exactly advice, but I took it as enough of a sign as I answered truthfully.

"I'm already in DC." I informed him, still half-absently. "At the Four Seasons, in Georgetown."

"We'll send a car for you in an hour, if you're agreeable Colonel." It was curious, because I could tell that while the man really wanted to make it sound like an order, he couldn't really force me, and not because of my retirement, or even my connections, they wanted (possibly needed) something, badly enough they were actually asking…

"I'll be ready." I assured him.

I didn't ask Rose what was going on, I knew better than that by that point. So instead I just took a shower, while she called for breakfast to be brought to the suite. We ate together in companionable silence, and then it was time to go. We didn't say goodbye, we never did, but still, we did wish each other the best. As I was leaving the room I was quite sure I could hear her singing once again:

"Faith falls hard on our shoulders

But legends never die"

* * *

When I first began the Nightingale series I had a different plan for Gral. Ross... then again, at that time I hadn't watched the post-credits scene, actually thought Ross might have changed after Hulk dealt with Ross's mess... never got the inspiration for writing the sidestory for that pairing I once considered doing, and it was easy enough to simply bring Betty and little Robbie when I needed them. Then Civil War happened...

Civil War... when the movie first came out I hated it. The way they destroyed the Avengers... and the fact that I'm quite convinced they'll just pull the team back together when it's convenient, completely ignoring that Tony was in the right (yes, he might have made some mistakes in how things were handled, but following the will of the UN, of 117 countries was not one of them!). Originally I was going to ignore Civil War, shield myself in the fact that just a thing couldn't possibly happen in the Nightingale-verse... then I wrote two AUs where I actually went into things from there, and I realized I couldn't just ignore the metaphorical elephant in the fandom. So I decided to twist things my way. You'll actually see more of that in the next couple of chapters, especially Rose's; but I wanted to say this now, I'm all for the idea of the Accords, though not exactly the way they were presented in the movie (that is addressed in the fic itself). Hope you'll like what I decided to do with things.

Then, Marge... from the moment I created her as a Peggy-substitute I knew one day the secret would be revealed. Didn't expect it to happen this way, but I think it went okay. Hope you liked it too. And that you'll like what's coming in the following chapter.

Next one: The color is Purple and the narrator is Helena! And there's so much going on that end as well...

P.S. If I tell you it's my birthday on the 1st, would that get me more reviews?

P.P.S. It's not a joke. It really is my birthday.


	3. Purple

Hello. So, here you'll see some of what I warned you about during the last chapter. This one too begins with Marge's death, and runs mostly parallel with the events on Hakon's chapter, but not completely. It'll be the same with the next one (two technically, but it won't be as obvious later on). Please, bear with me, I promise it's worth it.

Much of this chapter was planned since Ethereal Gift. I just loved working with Helena and Stephen, and with Karl... I wanted more for him than the villain they'll probably turn him into. I've not gone into as much detail as I originally wanted to, but I think it was enough. More about that in the end notes.

Dreamcast for this chapter: Katie McGrath as Helena Lokidottir/Salani-Hvedrungr, Sophie Oda as Sachiko Nishimura, Jane Seymour as Tamara Walker, Daniel Day-Lewis as Master Turner, Gong Li as Yelan Li.

The song in this chapter is "Calling on Angels" by J2, feat. Natalie Major.

* * *

 **Purple (Helena)**

Even with all the Wisdom in the universe, some Mysteries are meant to remain such…

The funeral wasn't as bad as I feared it might be. Though that might also be because, from everyone in my family, I was the one least connected with Marge Sholto and her family (after all, until very recently I hadn't even lived in a living dimension at all)… at least in ways most humans could comprehend. None of them would ever know that I was there, that night, when an old woman's labored breathing finally ceased and then, just seconds later, everything changed. Like a serpent shedding a metaphorical skin, or some kind of other creature stepping out of its shell, a beautiful, petite, auburn-haired, honey-brown eyed feminine figure who looked to be in her mid-twenties or so, rose from the bed… a youthful spirit quietly leaving the aged body behind.

I was there, partially due to Rose's own request. My little sis was a romantic at heart, and so empathetic, she believed Marge deserved more than anything to finally join her beloved Jacob again. She was also sure that he wouldn't have moved on without her, and that my intervention would be faster than Marge having to look for him through my realm. She was right, for the most part.

" _So I'm finally dead, huh?" Was the first thing she said when she saw me._

 _Not exactly the reaction I was used to, and I knew my thoughts showed on my face, if only because I allowed them to. I'd never had any reason to hide from the dead._

" _Oh don't look at me like that missy." She stated in a strong voice. "I've been waiting to die for a very long time! Death has never been a fear of mine, only leaving my family, and yet… after their most recent visits I'm quite sure they will be alright. Peggy is back where she belongs, with good-old Steve, Johnny has that nice-gentleman, Sherlock with him and Harriet… my dear Harry, she's so strong, stronger than anyone else in the family, she can do anything, with or without someone by her side. Now tell me, where is my Jacob?"_

 _I almost laughed. I'd met my fair share of mortals since becoming Queen of Helheim, and while some were certainly afraid of either death or what came afterwards, many weren't. Still, no one before had ever reacted quite like Marge…_

" _My name is Helena." I informed her softly. "I am your guide. Come, I will take you to your Jacob, he's been waiting for you."_

 _Indeed he had, I knew without ever having met him; I knew every single being in my realm. From the innocents who couldn't move on, as they had never truly lived, to those strong, enduring souls who refused to move on without their other halves. I knew that just like Johann had once waited for years before Willow would join him, just like Peter had waited for his chance to return to the living, Jacob had been waiting for his Marge…_

 _We were almost at our destination when I thought to speak again:_

" _Is there anything you would wish for me to tell them?" I asked her quietly. "Any messages for me to pass on back to your loved ones."_

" _No." She shook her head, recognizing the great opportunity I was giving her, yet turning it down all the same. "They know I love them, that I'm happy for them. What else could I tell them? They all have their own lives, have achieved great things. An old woman could ask for nothing more…" She made a pause, seemingly remembering something. "There is one thing though, for those I haven't been able to see in so long. Arianna and Serrure, should you ever meet them, tell them I said thank you, please?"_

" _I'm sure they know, but I'll tell them anyway." I assured her._

" _Yes well, I'm sure too, but I never got the chance to say it to them in person so..."_

 _I almost chuckled again. Marge was such an interesting individual, I almost regretted never having the chance to truly meet her. But regrets were for the living, not the dead, and I wouldn't burden her with mine. The smile on her face as she caught sight of the blonde, blue-eyed man waiting for her among the mists of my realm was such I'm not sure she would have heard to a single word I said anyway. But that was alright. Marge and Jacob were together, en route to their peace, they'd earned it. Matters of the living were no longer for them to worry about. I'd pass on their message when I informed Nana and Ada that their friend had passed on._

I wasn't part of the press conference where certain secrets were revealed, though I still attended the funeral the following day. It was a nice, if somewhat somber affair. Stephen had insisted on going with me and eventually I accepted; though I manage to convince him to dress in a suit rather than his usual sorcerer robes.

 **xXx**

Because trouble is never far, no matter what we might do to try and avoid it, it found us in early June, less than two weeks after Marge's funeral.

"Stephen!" It had taken quite some time, but eventually Stephen and I managed to convince Sachiko to call us by our first names. "Wong needs you in Kamar-Taj ASAP!"

Stephen and I were running before the last word passed her lips.

"How bad is it?" Stephen asked as we all rushed towards the gate that lead to Kamar-Taj.

"Mistress Walker captured Master Mordo." Sachiko answered in a tone that sounded too even for it to be natural.

I knew her words couldn't be an accident, she was conveying a lot more than most would assume by her mere words, and both Stephen and I realized it. There was no need for Mordo to be captured, ever since his last confrontation with Stephen he hadn't caused any kind of trouble, no sorcerers had been robbed of their magic like what had happened to Pangborn, and no one had reported so much as seeing him since the situation with Ultron in Sokovia in 2017. Tamara on the other hand… she'd not only left NY on bad terms with Stephen, but she hadn't stayed long in London either. Apparently the fact that everyone there, and in Hong Kong as well, had been so willing to follow Stephen's initiative in aiding the world whether the emergency was magical or not wasn't to her liking. She'd done everything short of outright rebellion to try and undermine Stephen's directive, and when thaat failed, she'd walked away. Everyone wanted to believe that she just needed a break, that she'd come around… I was beginning to fear that it might be much too late for that.

"Oz you're in charge!" Stephen called as we passed said man.

Oz, or Oziel Marin was a half-Greek, half-Puerto Rican man who'd become a practitioner of the Mystic Arts years before Stephen. However, it had been little more than a hobby to him until the fight with Kaecilius. Apparently Daniel, Stephen's predecessor as Master of the NY Sanctum had been a good friend of his. In his memory Oziel had chosen to try harder, to take his training more seriously, eventually becoming one of the best, as well as one of Stephen's advisers.

"But Sachiko..." Oz began, hesitant.

He might be proud of his position, but Sachi was, after all, Stephen's protegé, she also had more raw power than anyone in the NY Sanctum except perhaps Stephen and myself. The young woman had the potential to be one of the most powerful sorcerers in history.

"She's coming with us." Stephen informed him, just a breath before crossing the portal.

He did not explain his reasoning, and while I had no idea what it might be exactly, I definitely got the feeling that Sachiko needed to be with us for what was to come. As did she, judging by the way she didn't so much as slow down as she followed me through the portal.

In Kamar-Taj things were both better and worse than I'd been expecting, than we all had been expecting. Karl was in chains, cold-iron chains, to restrain him and his magic; Tamara was the one holding the other end of the chain, but somehow the image they gave off wasn't one of an enforcer who'd captured a dangerous threat… it looked more like someone trying to hold a slave… it was sickening. And by the way Sachiko's fists tightened by her side, and Stephen stood much too straight, I knew they sensed the same.

"Master Strange..."

Stephen gritted his teeth somewhat, but otherwise we all ignored Tamara's purposeful choice of address. It didn't matter right then, only Karl did.

"Doctor Strange." Wong called respectfully. "This is a meeting meant only for Masters and high ranking sorcerers..."

"Sachiko is my protege, she's meant to be here." Stephen stated simply.

No one tried to contradict him, and I knew that was significant, but didn't pay much attention to it. I could also tell Tamara didn't like it. Ever since Sachi had first acted against her own preferences, when asking for leave to help in Sokovia, the older sorceress had been angry at her, she would have even demoted the young woman to nothing more than an initiate, throwing away years of training and dedication… except Stephen refused to allow it. He'd chosen Sachiko as his apprentice on the spot, and while it hadn't been planned, none of us had had caused to regret it in the years since.

Tamara probably would also like to complain about my presence, since I technically wasn't a 'Master of the Mystic Arts' like them. She knew better than to try it though, in the two years and change since I'd been in the NY Sanctum, the Order had come to like me, she knew they'd never agree with me being sent away. Also, everyone knew I was Stephen's match, and they liked him… so, probably one more reason for her to dislike my love (if not outright hate him). I had no doubt that if she succeeded in whatever she might have planned for Karl, she would be moving against the rest of us next; which is why we couldn't allow that… Well, that, and also the fact that my match still believed in Karl, considered him a friend, and he always would. And I would always follow where he lead.

"Very well, we're all present now." Wong announced. "Let the trial begin."

It wasn't too bad at first. Master Turner, as the one in charge of recording the proceedings (much like he'd once done with Stephen's battle against Dormammu) kept things very official and polite. Mordo choosing to walk away in the aftermath of Hong Kong was mentioned, though it wasn't seen really as abandoning his post or his duties, how could it when he'd only done so after he fought a battle against Kaecilius and his zealots? There wasn't even mention about him forsaking the Order, Stephen had made sure such a thing would never be recorded.

It was then that things got truly tense. Tamara could see that she was losing whatever fight she thought she was fighting, and she didn't like it.

"Johnathan Pangborn." She called, smile sharp. "I believe we're all aware of what the accused did to our former brother: Pangborn. Stole his magic, which in and of itself is a crime, against a sorcerer, and against magic itself. Then there's the fact that doing so condemned Pangborn, we don't even know if he's even alive…"

"Pangborn is alive." Stephen interfered with a clipped voice. "I went to see him at the hospital after he was taken there. Talked to him. I also oversaw his transfer where the doctors at the Metro General could do no more for him."

"That does not guarantee he is still alright at this time." Walker insisted. "If nothing else, our brother deserves justice…"

"Not like that!" Sachiko snapped unexpectedly, then added, more quietly. "That's not what Johnathan would have wanted."

"Is that what you teach your protege, Master Strange?" Tamara questioned with an almost-sneer. "To interrupt her betters? To interfere with the due course of law..."

"Please, no need to be so over-dramatic." Stephen drawled, seemingly unable to help himself. "And I don't see how you believe she's interrupting any betters."

I almost winced at that. Not like I disagreed with him, but maybe it would have been better to get Karl out of his current situation before making things worse with Tamara?

"In any case, Sachiko is my apprentice, not yours, since you chose to forsake that right." My love went on. "As for what I've taught her. I've taught her to be strong, to believe in herself, and to do what she believes is right." He turned to the girl in question. "What is it you need to say?"

I could see Sachiko blushing almost to the roots of her hair, and yet she did not back down, she didn't even lower her eyes; just nodded her head once at her master before stepping forth, gesturing with one hand to pull a crystal out of a sub-space pocket. It was a trick I'd taught her, and one she'd taken to very quickly, claiming it was safer than carrying things in her clothes. I agreed.

It took me but a moment to realize that the crystal in her hand was a recording crystal, meant to hold recordings and project them, much like holographic pictures or video. After tapping her finger against one side of the crystal in a very specific sequence, one particular video came up: Almost everyone present recognized Johnathan Pangborn at once. The video had a close-up of him, over some nondescript yellow, white and brown background. A second later, he started speaking:

" _My name is Johnathan Pangborn, former practitioner of the Mystic Arts." It was obvious he knew he was being recorded, as he spoke slowly and enunciating each word carefully. "Today being the 3_ _rd_ _of April of 2018 I do so swear I give this statement of my own free will. Last year I was accosted by Master Karl Mordo in my workshop, he took my magic, claiming it was the only way to keep our world safe, claiming there were too many sorcerers. He did not hurt me in any other way, even made enough of a racket to make sure my wife would find me soon enough before using a portal to leave. I chose to call Doctor Stephen Strange as soon as I woke in the hospital, didn't know what might have happened to Mordo, but I knew it couldn't be good. Things were explained to me, and Stephen promised to do his best to help me. I'll admit I did not expect much. Weeks later he visited again, accompanied by his fiancé who made me an offer: my magic or my legs. I made my choice, and it's not one I think I shall ever regret." He made a pause and there was some motion as the point of recording pulled away and he himself moved; eventually the image focused again and he spoke once more: "Mordo… Karl, I don't know what's happened to you, I hope that whatever it might be, you'll get better. Where I'm concerned, I forgive you."_

I forgive you… Many times I'd heard people, especially mothers, speak about them being magical words. I'd always seen it simply as something moms said to get their kids to say them, never imagined how true such a statement could be…

"What…?!" Walker clearly wasn't expecting such a thing either.

And then, the cherry on the cake, as the image, which I only then noticed was still being projected, opened, showing Pangborn standing in a beautiful house's porch (the old Kent ranch-house in Smallville, as I eventually realized). Standing… Pangborn was standing on his own two feet! By the way he swayed slightly it was obvious that it was still a new development; but then, as if to confirm that it was, indeed, true, he gave a couple of slow, almost hesitant steps forward, before holding onto the nearby fence when his legs began shaking. Then the video finally cut off.

Silence was near absolute, except for Tamara's sub-vocal expressions of disbelief (and probably fury as well). Sachiko smiled beatifically as she twisted her hand, dropping the crystal back into its sub-space pocket, before bowing her head to Wong and Master Turner, then stepping back to her own Master's left side.

Sachiko was almost vibrating and humming under her breath as she stood at Stephen's left. I had no idea when or why the girl had ever thought looking for Pangborn to record such a statement; how she'd even known we would need it.

"I'm curious about something." Master Yelan Li, from the Hong Kong Sanctum, called. "Master Mordo, you went after Pangborn and, from what we know, after Dr. Strange as well; yet after your failed attack against him you chose to stay away. You did not come back to the Order, nor did you attack anyone else, why?"

"I guess you could say I had a rather… interesting conversation with a lady." Karl answered with a somewhat cryptic tone. "She made me see that what I was doing was pointless in many ways and that, in the end, it wouldn't help rid of the danger I came to believe was implicit in the Mystic Arts after the confrontation against Dormammu." He let out a breath, closing his eyes briefly. "I allowed my anger, my disappointment towards the Ancient One and her own choices to color my own, to guide me on a misguided quest. I was fortunate that I managed to stop before I did irreparable damage, and even more so that those I did hurt were strong enough to recover, and even to forgive me for my actions against them."

"Oh yes, a very pretty speech." Walker practically hissed. "But you are still a criminal, a Rogue, and shall be made to pay for it."

"Why?" Stephen questioned abruptly.

It was obvious no one was expecting that question, not even Karl.

"Is this some kind of joke Strange?!" Walker demanded.

"No joke at all Walker." My love answered in a drawl. "I mean, like we've all heard in that video, Pangborn has forgiven K… Master Mordo for his actions. He's hurt no one else, and I know for a fact that he was never formally declared a Rogue."

They had tried, so many times, had made a point of calling him that; but it was never official.

"Only because you blocked it at every turn!" Tamara practically snarled.

"The point remains." Stephen insisted.

"M… Doctor Strange." The British Master called, sounding honestly baffled. "He attacked you."

"The fact that I'm perfectly alright, and with my magic intact would belie that statement." My match declared in a perfectly even tone.

Only a scarce few knew what had truly happened to Stephen when Mordo attacked him, how he'd ended wandering through the Mirror Dimension for a week. His magic had indeed been intact, and not just that, but upon finding his older magic, he'd become much stronger. Neither Tamara, nor anyone else really could use that particular event to accuse Karl Mordo of anything, because if Stephen chose not to 'testify' about it, they simply had no proof of it at all.

"Why are you doing this?!" Tamara demanded. "Why defend him? He tried to kill you!"

"He's my friend." Stephen answered simply.

Most probably wouldn't understand it, but I did. No idea if Sachiko did, but she certainly was in the same page as us where Karl was concerned.

Karl for his part said not a word, but the way he stared at my love made it obvious that there would be a very long talk between them, a private one.

Sachiko had gone from almost vibrating to practically jumping in place, either eager, anxious, or both. I could tell that everyone else considered the matter pretty much close and had no doubt that Stephen would be demanding Karl be released any moment. Even Wong seemed to have decided not to insist on the so-called trial (though he was, perhaps, the only one aside from us who knew what had truly happened between Mordo and Stephen back in 2017).

When the attack came, no one saw it coming; not even me. There was a spark of orange light, which shifted into a crystal-like blade, reflecting the light and throwing rainbows all around. A wordless screech crossed Walker's lips as she threw herself against my love; in a second Sachiko and I were calling on our magicks, at the same time Stephen gave a couple of steps back reflexively, his fingers sparking with magic as he prepared to call on his own shield.

Tamara never got less than seven feet from us; as, in the same time it took us to get on the defensive, Karl had already moved to neutralize the threat. One of his hands went to Tamara's own extended one, twisting her wrist, forcing her to dismiss her weapon or risk slashing her own arm with it; the other he twisted in an odd gesture I couldn't understand, not until he seemingly dealt a blow to the redhead's solar plexus with an open palm.

We were all on our guard seconds later, even as Tamara screamed her fury and gestured with both hands, calling on weapons, on magic… only for nothing to happen. I didn't realize the significance of it, not right away, not until her next cry left her lips.

"What have you done?!" She wailed, far past livid by that point. "Give me my magic back you bastard?! The magic is mine! You monster! Give It Back!"

No one moved a muscle.

"What are you waiting for?!" She demands of everyone else present. "Arrest him! He's a monster! He stole my magic! I Want It Back!"

"All he did was stop you from murdering a man, one of our Masters." Turner informed him with a tone of evident disappointment. "You're the criminal here Tamara..."

A wave of his hand prompted a couple of sorcerers that had been standing in the fringes to rush forth and secure her, much how Karl had been, until a few seconds prior, when he'd pretty much slipped off his chains to use his magic and save Stephen… and really, I wasn't quite sure if he was too strong for those chains, or the chains were weaker than some people had believed them to be…

No one said a word for a while. Walker was taken to a cell. She'd need no trial, everyone had seen her try to murder my love. Since she was no longer magical she'd probably be secured in one of the simpler cells in Kamar-Taj; the prison dimensions would have been inhumane after what she had already lost, and we couldn't really send her to a normal prison when we couldn't give proof of her crime (seeing how there was no body, no weapon and seemingly no motive).

I thought it was finally over. That we'd all get to go home and put it all behind us, finally… I was wrong, so very wrong…

"It's still a crime..." Li murmured suddenly, very quietly.

"What…?" It wasn't only me, most of us seemed to have a hard time grasping what she meant.

"Tamara might have been intending to hurt one of our own, yes." The Chinese woman elaborated, her voice strengthening as she spoke. "But robbing her of her magic… that too is a crime, more than that, it's heresy..."

Heresy… the mere word seemed like a death sentence, like something dark and forbidden; and I knew why, that word had been used so many times through history, to justify hate, and death upon those whose beliefs might differ from the 'norm'; or more simply stated, from those who held the power at any given time. It seemed ironic to me, to have someone be called heretic, by a person who wielded magic, when historically it had been those with magic (or at least suspected of such) to be called by such an epithet. I just knew I wasn't going to like the comparison.

The way Mordo, Wong, Sachiko and even Stephen tensed at those words told me I was definitely not going to like the implications.

"You know there's only one crime for a heretic." Turner whispered, and I could clearly hear the hesitation behind his every word.

"Are you… are you really going to condemn a man for saving another's life?!" Sachiko shocked everyone by her passionate defense of Karl.

Everyone but me. It had begun as nothing more than a slight suspicion, little more than a wild idea in the back of my head, but the more time that passed the more I believed I might be right. Sachiko knew Karl more than she should have, more than her current life alone could possibly justify.

"You know Mordo deserves a chance to have someone speak for him." Wong stated in return.

I could see Sachiko about to throw herself at that. The girl was usually so calm, so serene, yet in that moment her passion was showing, and while I completely understood her desire to protect one she clearly saw as hers… I also knew it wouldn't work.

"It cannot be just everyone." I told her very quietly, in Japanese. "I know your heart's in the right place Sachi-chan, but this is beyond you, beyond us both."

But it certainly wasn't beyond my love, and he knew it.

"I, Stephen Strange, Master of the New York Sanctum will speak up for him." He announced, like I knew he would.

"Strange..." No one seemed to be able to believe it, even after hearing him call Karl friend…

"Stephen..." Wong murmured, a particular tenor in his voice. "You know what this will mean..."

"We've both known for a while this was coming Wong." Stephen replied, the slightest hint of a smile on his lips.

"Are you ready?" The Librarian (and Senechaux) asked, looking only at Stephen.

"In the words of the Ancient One herself… we never are, but we don't get to choose our time." Stephen almost quipped, then he added, more seriously: "What must be, will be."

Yes, it would be indeed.

 **xXx**

By the time we left Kamar-Taj Stephen was officially the new Sorcerer Supreme. All the rituals had been followed, official announcements would be made in the morning in every Sanctum, and from there the word would spread through the world, and eventually the multi-verse. Karl was officially considered to be on probation, though he still retained the rank of Master, for all intents and purposes. Sachiko for her part had been declared a Master in her own right.

The poor girl had almost collapsed in shock when that part was announced. While she had been a sorcerer for longer than my match, and she had the raw power to one day be one of the most powerful Masters in the Mystic Order, she still couldn't compare with my Stephen, she knew that and accepted it. She'd never felt affronted by someone with technically less experience than her being given command, or being her master. She understood the way things were meant to be… though apparently she hadn't been prepared to learn she was ready to take her own place in the world… or what that place was meant to be.

Throughout most of the Sanctum everyone was still cheering, celebrating the news, Sachiko and Karl, for their parts, had followed Stephen and I all the way to our private study (technically it was Stephen's private study, but still).

"Why… why did you do that?!" Sachiko cried out, voice going through two octaves in distress.

"Because of the people I know have the power and the will to handle this, and whom I could actually appoint to the position, you're the only one I trust." My love answered, dead-honest.

And it was, along with passing on the news of his own ascension to Sorcerer Supreme, my fiancee had just revealed the identity of his successor to everyone in the sanctum: Sachiko.

"It should have been K… Master Mordo." Sachiko stated, forcing herself to calm down.

"I'm not an option." Karl stated evenly.

"No, and even if he were, he wouldn't be in your place." Before anyone could protest, my match turned to stare straight into the other sorcerer's dark eyes as he added: "You would be in mine."

For what seemed like forever no one said a word to that, eventually it was Karl himself who broke the heavy silence:

"You're insane Strange." He stated gruffly.

"Perhaps." Stephen shrugged. "G… The Ancient One told me something, just before she died… well, actually she told me a few things. She stretched her last seconds and we got the chance to talk, in our spirit forms. Regarding you… she said that only together we'd be able to defeat Dormammu, she also said that I needed your strength, and you, my flexibility." He let out a breath. "It had been bothering me, you know? Since the moment she appointed me as Master to this Sanctum. Why me? Why not you? You'd been a sorcerer for longer, and were certainly stronger than I was… and you believed in her teachings much more than I did, do, and ever will… it came to me then, as she said those words. She wasn't choosing me over you, it's just that she had a different task in mind for you. Had probably had it for a while..."

"You cannot tell me she was planning on making me her successor!" Mordo exclaimed, going into denial. "Strange.. that's ridiculous!"

"Is it? I don't think so." Stephen smiled, very softly. "I might not have known her as long as you." Not in this life, at least. "But we… understood each other, in the end." He took a deep breath before adding, very quietly: "I would have followed you, you know? Would have been honored to..."

"Is that why you defended me so vehemently earlier?" Mordo demanded. "Why you kept them from branding me a Rogue and a traitor? Because of her?"

"No." My love's voice went very quiet, and very serious. "No, I did that, for the same reason I refused to allow them to use me to accuse you of anything. The same one I stated right there several hours ago. Because you're my friend. You..." He let out a breath. "Karl… you believed in me, when no one else did, not even the Ancient One! You insisted that she give me a chance, took an interest in me when everyone else, myself included, would have given up. Even when you learned the truth about her, the things she had done, all the ways she had betrayed her own teachings, and your faith in her… you still followed me when I asked. You believed in me." It always went back to that. "So how could I not believe in you?"

He made it sound so simple, and it wasn't. We knew it wasn't, didn't mean we wouldn't try.

"I..." Mordo's hesitation, more than anything else, called all our attention: "I knew some of that, wasn't sure I believed it." He shook his head, seemingly to himself. "Had quite an interesting conversation with the Rose of Chaos oh… eighteen months ago, or so."

"Rose…?" I blurted out, unable to help myself. "Rose went to you?"

"She told me she was the Rose of Chaos..." Karl arched a brow at me. "What is she to you?"

"My sister." I answered, completely honest. "Her name is Rose Alfdis. She's not a sorceress, but a Seer, and a Fire Elemental, as well as a warrior."

Mordo closed his eyes briefly, probably contemplating how my revelation changed, or not, that particular encounter. In the end he seemed to push it aside as she focused on my love again:

"She told me why you believed in me, when I didn't understand why you refused to see me as an enemy." He explained. "She also did her best to convince me that the Ancient One wasn't truly responsible for Kaecilius, that she had paid a different price for her choices, her power, and her long life. Then… when I asked her what price you had paid for your own defiance of the Natural Laws she told me to ask you."

Karl couldn't have possibly missed the way we all tensed at that.

"You told me… told us that night, that you had bargained with Dormammu." Mordo pushed on. "For Kaecilius and his zealots to be taken away, for Dormammu to leave Earth alone, forever. I believed you had bargained with power, drawing it from the Dark Dimension itself, much like she had done before…"

"I'd never do that." Stephen interrupted, seemingly unable to help himself. "I understand the Abyss in a way G… the Ancient One never did, I would never draw power from it."

"Then what kind of bargain could you have possibly struck?" Karl really wanted to know. "What could you have possibly had over Dormammu to make him agree."

"Time..." Such an answer, so simple and so infinitely complicated at the same time.

The story came out, slow but sure. It had been more than two years since that disaster, and Stephen had managed to move beyond it all, for the most part. He hadn't forgotten, it, he'd never forget what happened that day, all the times he died to save the world… but the memories no longer tortured him, and that was good enough.

Mordo seemed to be speechless, when the retelling finally came to an end.

"Strange… Stephen…" He called, slowly, voice full of feelings I couldn't quite name, even being a bit of an empath myself. "I'm sorry…"

My match just shook his head, a somewhat rueful smile on his face; it was obvious he didn't believe an apology to be necessary, but he'd never say that, because he knew it was important for Karl to give it. So he just accepted it, hoping it'd be enough for them to finally move on. I hoped for the same. I hoped that finally, after all this time, things would finally be better for us all.

As Karl dropped to one knee and very solemnly swore his loyalty, first to Stephen, and then to Sachiko, I knew that whatever the future might throw our way, we'd handle it, together.

 **xXx**

Ceremonies took place the next day, as the announcement was officially made in each of the Sanctums. My match seemed honestly surprised by the fact that not a single person was against his ascension. For so long he'd been popular and arrogant, and then had come his accident, and his fall from grace… it hadn't just been his accident, his discovery of magic, he'd also come to see the kind of person he'd been, and had changed, for the better (even before regaining his memories of his old lives, and my introduction into his latest one). He just couldn't believe that so many people accepted him, that they genuinely liked him. Then again, how could they not? He'd saved their lives, had paid for it with his own, 413 times! They knew it, it was a matter of public record inside the Order and its allies; normal people who were aware of magic, like Mycroft Holmes, who sent his own (somewhat stunted and exceedingly formal) congratulations through the London Sanctum.

The last ceremony was in NY where, after formalities were done, both for my fiancee and Sachiko, it all turned into a veritable party, even the Avengers and the Sentinels dropped by briefly to offer their congratulations and some even joined in the celebration for a little while.

It was close to the end of the night, with only the people living in the Sanctum still around (my love and I were moving out, and to Avengers Tower in the morning, judging it was better to let Sachiko have her space and gain her footing without encroaching, she'd have Karl there to help her if she ever needed it) when my love approached me, embracing me from behind:

"Sing for me, cariad (beloved)..." He whispered into my ear, voice deep and husky and full of love.

I didn't do it often, I was more for playing the violin, or even humming; I could sing, but I'd always felt self-conscious about it, with a mother who was always referred to as the 'most beautiful voice in all the realms', how could I not? Still, I could never delay my love anything, so I sung for him:

"I've been walking the line

Had to change with the tide

'Cause the moon, it reflects

A part of me"

"Like a fire, I'll burn

If I'm close to the sun

So I'm down on my knees

Just waiting"

"I've been trying to believe

So I'm calling on angels

I hope they're watching

Over me"

"And I won't take defeat

So I'm calling on angels

Searching for love

To guide me"

I didn't know when I closed my eyes, it didn't matter. All that mattered in that moment was the man holding me in his arms. We'd been through so much, together for so long, lifetime after lifetime, through years, and centuries, and millennia, more time than mere mortals could ever comprehend, more time than the Earth/Midgard/Terra as we knew it had existed. Even Nana, being basically in the same boat, did not fully understand, but then again, she only had memories of two lives, her current one included; she knew, instinctively, that she and Adar had lived other lives, had been together for a very long time, but did not have the actual, practical knowledge to back that. An instinct of my own told me that things wouldn't stay that way forever, one day, she would know. I had no idea what could bring such information forth (unlike my case, where a magical accident had been involved, or Stephanos's, where he'd died time and again… Nana herself had already died, but that hadn't changed anything). Still, whatever might bring that about, it was probably going to be big, bigger than her, than me, than all of us. I just hoped we'd, somehow, be ready for it.

"And I'm fighting for life

With the will to survive

With all of the light

That shines for me"

"So I follow my heart

Though it's tearing apart

Trusting my strengths

Will find me"

"'Cause I've been trying to believe

So I'm calling on angels

I hope they're watching

Over me"

"And I won't take defeat

So I'm calling on angels

Searching for love

To guide me"

I didn't realize just how many people were actually listening to my song, until I opened my eyes and saw Sachiko and Karl standing, very close, to our right, looking at us, at me. And they weren't the only ones; Wong was behind them, and Oziel, and what looked like everyone else in the Sanctum. I blushed, like I hadn't blushed in… probably centuries; I was so embarrassed a part of me thought I might not be able to finish my song. And then my match tightened his arms around my waist and I remembered exactly why I was singing. Nothing, not shyness, or embarrassment, or anything else at all, could ever be more important than him, the love of my existence… and so I kept on singing.

"(Ooooh)"

"So I've been trying to believe

So I'm calling on angels

I hope they're watching

Over me"

"And I won't take defeat

So I'm calling on angels

Searching for love

To guide me"

"(Ooooh)

(Calling on angels!)

(Ooooh)

(Calling on angels!) "

 **xXx**

Ten weeks later, disaster struck. Things had already been somewhat tense, first with Thaddeus Ross's very public trial, which seemed destined to ruin even more careers than HYDRA's own reveal in '16; and then with the so-called 'Pax Accords', or 'Peace Accords', which were meant to ensure the safety of both the gifted (mutant, meta, magical, enhanced, etc.) and baseline humans alike. Of course, it was a very complex matter and, like with everything that required the agreement of so many different people, it was hard for everyone to agree. Then it happened…

It began with an unexpected message appearing on our table through magical means. The seal had shown it came from Sachiko. They'd just been warned by Wong that Walker had managed to escape her confinement, and she'd made a hell of a mess of it, with several acolytes and even one sorcerer dead; she'd even managed to steal something from Gwen's old vaults though, as Stephen had been putting off dealing with such things (and he… we had both been incredibly busy putting everything in order after more than two years with no Sorcerer Supreme), we'd no idea what it might be.

One thing was for sure though, Tamara Walker was going to be trouble, and quite probably more than we could afford to have in that moment.

* * *

Now, for the things I never got to say in the chapter itself. I think I made it pretty clear that Sachiko is Karl's match, the reincarnation of the match he lost when he was 14-15 and she 14 (the one he called little gypsy). The loss of her made Karl lose himself to violence and vengeance, until he met the Ancient One. She helped give him a purpose, but he made a mistake of depending too much on her, which is why he pretty much snapped after her own deals with Dormammu were revealed. In my verse at least, Helena, Stephen (and Rose, a bit) set him straight; meeting Sachiko helped him too.

Also, I honestly believed that Karl could have been, if not the Sorcerer Supreme, at least the London Sanctum Master. I believe that if the Ancient One passed him and offered the NY Sanctum to Strange, it had to be because she'd something else in mind for Mordo. And he certainly had the power to take her place (also, London had fallen by then, he could have been meant for there). For those who've read Mystic Bonds and are wondering why I made Sachiko Sanctum Master this time... In Bonds Karl was never considered a criminal by the Order, so he was in better standing. Here, even with all Stephen did for him, he wasn't trusted, so he couldn't become a Sanctum Master. He could still be there for Sachiko though.

Hope that explains things a bit better. Sometimes I have this whole stories in my mind, that I don't get the chance to fully tell, might not even be necessary, but they still exist for me.

More on the Accords in the next chapter. It's time for Rose to tell her side of things. Her color? Blue!

P.S. I just posted the first half of a new story. It's completely narrated by Skye. Post-CW, Skyeward and IronTaser. I just needed to let out all my feels concerning Civil War once and for all... if anyone is interested, please fo and read it! Thank you.


	4. Blue

Civil War is a mess. One I never intended to touch on, at least not on the main timeline. Then I realized that I couldn't call myself Team Iron Man and simply ignore the whole thing. Initially I outright hated Team Cap; later on I realized they had some points right. Doesn't mean Tony was wrong though. You'll see in the fic itself, I tried my best for Rose to explain things. I hope you'll like how I handled things.

Dreamcast: Georgie Henley as Rose Alfdis, Taraneh Alidoosti as Kendra Hall and Jensen Ackles as Esteban Burke.

Wonder Woman makes an appearance here. She's actually been mentioned before, but not as directly as here. For her story consider the 2017 movie. Only she came in contact with the JL after it was formed (and all the stories are the ones from Smallville, with the changes shown in BoR).

The song for this chapter is "Hero" as sung by Ruelle.

* * *

 **Blue (Rose)**

Peace is more than just the absence of war, it's trust, and security and truth…

" _He's my friend..."_

" _So was I."_

The first time I knew something was wrong… at least in recent times, was when I woke up gasping, terrible images still flashing in the back of my head: Tony's bloodied face, staring into her attacker as he drove his own weapon into the Arc Reactor… Captain America's shield being dropped to the stone floor, scratches marring its surface… Steve and Bucky walking away from a horribly injured Tony, abandoning him… and those two phrases echoing in the cold and darkness.

I had no idea what the hell was going on. Why were Tony, Steve and Bucky fighting against each other? Where were Pepper, Sharon and Sif? They would have never allowed things to get to that point, if it had been in their hands…

That was the beginning, and things only got worse in the following weeks. My dreams showed me tragedies, horrible, immeasurable: a battle of Sokovia where almost two hundred people lost their lives (instead of the less than twenty that we lost in reality), where I lost my match without having the chance to truly be with him, again; a disaster in a South African city I'd never been to, where Hulk went into a rampage for reasons I did not know, killing thousands; a Wanda who allowed grief to turn into rage, and that rage turned her into a force of evil, rather than one of good; and then there was the battle in a German Airport, where Avengers fought against one another, where the team was destroyed in ways more permanent than actual death.

In mid May Marge Sholto died. I didn't know the woman that well, Hakon and our parents had been the one more closely in contact with that family, but still, when Tony called me to tell me about the funeral, I immediately told him I'd go. Was there early enough to end up involved (though only in the background) with the press conference during which they all finally revealed the truth about Peggy and Marge to the world.

I made sure to watch them all very attentively through the whole weekend, and by the end of it I still wasn't sure how the hell they were supposed to end up on opposite sides of a war. It just didn't make any sense! Yet the dreams/visions just kept getting worse as the days passed. And then I heard whispers about the Accords…

They were more than whispers, in fact. I was very well connected, even if nothing had happened since the mess with HYDRA in '16 to require the 'Rose of Chaos', I still had quite a lot of contacts, and even more friends. And then there was Great-Aunt Kathryn… while she and Nicholas Fury apparently were still moving around for the most part, she was quite good friends with the Royal House of Wakanda, and it was them, particularly King T'Chaka himself, behind the proposal of the so-called Accords.

I was trying to device a way to get to Wakanda so I might be able to talk to them, find out what was going on exactly. I wasn't exactly against the Accords, not in the most basic terms, the idea of them, from what Aunt Kathryn told me: keeping watch over super-heroes, make sure civilians were safe, but more importantly, that they knew they were being heard… it sounded alright in theory, I knew it'd be a lot more complicated in the practice. And since I was still considered by many as the head of the Gifted Alliance, I really felt I needed to know what was going on with those Accords, exactly. I was beginning to consider simply sending a message and hope they'd see it sometime soon, when I got a call from my sister:

Karl Mordo had been captured and put to trial for his actions in the past few years, things had gotten serious enough that, somehow, it had all ended with Stephen ascending to Supreme Sorcerer, while Sachiko took his place as Master of the NY Sanctum (I had no idea what could have happened to cause that, exactly). I was invited to the festivities, of course. However, the real reason for the call was to thank me; they knew I'd talked to Mordo, what I'd told him. They were convinced that if it hadn't been for me, for my words that day, he might have gone on attacking sorcerers, until Stephen might have been forced to declare him a Rogue, perhaps even fight him directly one day. I wasn't sure I'd been that instrumental, but was happy that he'd made the choice that would lead to his happiness, his and his match's.

I made it to NY just in time to celebrate with Stephen, Sachiko, and everyone else in the Sanctum, had pretty much made up my mind to take a day off and then go to Westchester to see Destiny and, hopefully, with her help I might be able to understand my own visions better. All those plans went out the window when I met none other than Lex Luthor, behind the wheel of a silver Porsche, just outside Avengers Tower.

We met with Trish and the children in a beautiful restaurant, where we all had breakfast together. I was delighted to see my friends again (and my godson!). It had been so long, I made a mental note to make the time to go to Kansas and spend at least a weekend there, visiting. I so wanted to see my goddaughter, and all my friends… it shocked me to realize how long it'd been since I'd seen most of them. I had just taken to spending most of my time either with the X-Men or with the Sentinels, taking the chance to be with my daughter, like I couldn't all those years. And while she might be a grown woman, she wanted me there, so I took advantage of that.

Breakfast was almost over and a voice in the back of my head was beginning to whisper that I could very well forget about the day off and head to Westchester already, when I noticed Lex staring almost intently at me.

"What…?" I asked, confused by his attention.

"You're worried." He stated, canting his head to a side.

I couldn't help the slight smile on my lips, Lex had always been able to read me so well… even before he knew the truth about me.

"I may not know what is going on exactly, what you might be involved in, or might have seen… but I know you, and I've seen that look in your eyes before; something is coming, or it might even be happening already, and it worries you, a lot." He explained evenly.

"That's true." I admitted, letting out a breath. "I'm afraid I cannot explain it to you, not because I don't trust you, but because not even I know what's going on exactly."

"That's alright, I didn't explain you to tell me anything." He assured me. "I just hope that, whatever might be happening, that you'll make sure to look after yourself too. The last things any of us who love you, would want, is for you to hurt yourself while to keep us all safe."

"Thanks Lex."

For a while, none of us said a word. Then, after the check had been paid (I insisted, as he'd paid the last time we happened to meet during one of his business trips), he spoke again.

"Oh, one more thing, I almost forgot." He said, pulling out a piece of paper. "When I told Carter I was hoping you would be in NY today so we might have breakfast together we assured me you would be, apparently Nelson told him, and also informed him that you were in need of some help. You've been away for a while, so you might not be aware… I'm sure you remember Kendra?"

Kendra Hall, Carter's and Shayera Hall's daughter, of course I remembered her. The last time I'd seen the girl she had been fifteen-going-on-sixteen, back in early 2011, when Checkmate had taken her, Courtney Whitmore as well as the children (Connor, Sarah, John and Joseph) hostage in an attempt to control the JSA, and the budding League. I imagined Kendra must have since finished high-school, college and made a life of her own; I still wasn't expecting what Lex said next:

"She got married in October of 2017, to none other than His Highness, Crown Prince T'Challa, of Wakanda… apparently they're a match."

Yeah, I definitely had not seen that one coming.

 **xXx**

Kendra remembered me, which was a good thing. She hadn't been as involved with the superhero gig as his parents, though she could fight as well as them and had been trained to use Hawkgirl's wings; she wasn't that interested in being a superhero though, said it wasn't really her style, though she would certainly fight to protect those she cared for. In any case, that was another good thing, because it meant she focused more on the woman she'd known as a teenager, her parents' friend, rather than on the symbol that was the Rose of Chaos.

We were on a private flight, the plane small and advanced enough that we made it to Wakanda in a time I was sure no airline could ever hope to compare with.

There was an entourage waiting for us, when we arrived. Half a dozen women I recognized were warriors even before I finished walking down the steps to the plane. I'd heard about them, the Dora Milaje. Even with all my travels, I'd never had reason to enter Wakanda in the past. I'd been looking for allies, and while I'd heard more than a few stories about both the Doras and the fabled Black Panther, I also knew they were a very isolationist nation and did not believe that the time it would take to convince such people to join me (if I ever managed, that is) would be worth it in the end. In deference to their own status though I stopped on the very last step, looking each of them in the eye and tilting my head just enough to bare the side of my neck briefly.

Kendra turned back when realizing I wasn't right behind her, cocking her own head to the side as she caught the end of the little ritual.

"What's going on?" She asked, confused.

"Nothing's wrong." I assured her, hurrying towards her once I caught the very small, single nod from one who appeared like she might be the leader of the Doras. "I'm just showing your protectors the respect they deserve as fellow warriors."

It was obvious she didn't understand it. While she might have been trained to fight, she wasn't a warrior, not like I was, like Carter and Shayera were, like the Dora Milaje clearly were.

There was some ceremony upon our arrival to the private meeting room where the whole Royal Family seemed to be waiting for us. I bowed to each of them in turn, in slightly different ways to denote my acknowledgment of who they were, and where exactly I stood in relation to them. I did not sit down until bid to do so by Prince T'Challa. Also, through it all I focused on speaking Xhosa as best as I could; it wasn't perfect, but the closest I could get to Wakandan, considering that due to the country's isolationist measures there was no way I could have learned their language.

"You do us, and Wakanda as a whole, a great honor, my lady." The King said seriously.

"We thought you might be accompanied." Queen Ramonda commented thoughtfully.

"My match has training with the Avengers today." I explained. "Both he and his sister have taken very well to the team." I made a pause before agreeing. "He might pick me up when the time comes, if His Majesty is willing to grant him leave into his lands, of course."

"As long as he means to harm to my people, he will always be welcome in Wakanda, as will you, my lady." The King assured me with a regal nod.

Finished with the pleasantries, it was finally time to get down to business.

"What has brought you to Wakanda, Lady Rose?" T'Challa wanted to know.

I tried to convince them to call me by my name, but it was slow going, probably the same how I kept using respectful titles for them, even after they insisted that I not use their royal ones.

"I believe you know already the answer to that question, Panther-King." I told him in a respectful but still strong voice. "I'm here because of the Accords."

I was right, of course, T'Chaka had known already that's why I was there. His wife quite probably suspected (judging by her lack of reaction), their children of the other hand… Princess Shuri looked startled for a moment, before she clearly began contemplating all possibilities, Prince T'Challa's was more visceral, and it took everything in me not to call on fire the moment my instincts began screaming about such a predator looking at me like that. Even then, I couldn't stop a couple of candles on a corner of the room from lightning, flames burning high and bright. Princess Shuri jumped on her seat and when I realized what was going on I blushed, mortified.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Your Majesties!" I exclaimed, willing the fire to vanish.

The Queen was immediately assuring me everything would be alright, while the King simply shook his head. What truly surprised me was the honest curiosity on the Prince and Princess's faces. It didn't occur to me until later that, from everyone in the room, Kendra was really the only one who'd ever seen me controlling fire. Also, with them being isolationist, there was a chance none of them had met many gifted… except those that might be born in their own country, and I knew that Elemental gifts like my own were pretty rare outside of certain races (like the Jotnar and Eldjotnar in their respective realms, or some believed to be mythical races in our own).

"Again, my apologies to you all." I murmured quietly. "I'm afraid that, with my own history, any perceived threat makes me react, even before I'm aware of it."

"That's perfectly natural in a warrior-princess such as yourself." Queen Ramonda nodded. "You have nothing to apologize for, fire-flower."

"When Ekaterine last visited, she told us she knew people who would be very interested in meeting with us regarding the Accords." King T'Chaka said thoughtfully. "To be honest with you, I was expecting Ekaterine's niece, I understand she's married to an Asgardian Prince?"

"She is." I nodded calmly. "She's also my mother. The world may know me mostly as the Rose of Chaos, but I was born Rose Alfdis, daughter of Loki and Nightingale."

 **xXx**

The Accords were a huge document, not quite as dangerous as I feared them being, though there were a few points I insisted on discussing with them before the ratification of the document. As it happened, things were happening very quickly where the Accords were concerned, almost too quickly in fact. I had no idea how things had gotten so far without me hearing about it, with all the contacts I had all over, it shouldn't have been possible. And then I learned the truth: that the Accords hadn't even been proposed to the UN until early in the year, and no one had seemed that worried, or even interested about it, until the Abomination escaped its super-secret prison to go on a rampage in Virginia! That had been in late February, Sif and James himself had gone in to deal with the matter, with Steve, Sharon and Bruce in the background (they'd chosen not to send the Hulk in believing that two such beings would create more destruction than entirely necessary). Then, by the start of March, everyone was suddenly interested in the Accords.

Even then, six months was a very short time, considering that 117 Countries had managed to agree to ratify the Accords, and there were more pending. I had no idea what the hurry might be, but I didn't like it; especially when I learned it hadn't come from Wakanda, or even the UN, but from the US, specifically, from the man representing the US in the deals concerning the Accords: Secretary of Stat Thaddeus Ross.

By that point I'd had enough visions to know it was a very bad idea to allow that man to be in any way connected to the Accords. Not sure I could pin the whole mess I'd seen in my dreams to him, but still, he'd been bad enough. So I got advantage of Pietro dropping by on his free day and convinced him to take me to San Francisco briefly to see my brother, I knew that if anyone could find enough dirt to bury a man like Ross, Hakon could, military law was his thing after all. And I was sure he'd be able to draw the simile with men like Stryker and Trask, which meant he'd push all the harder to get things done.

I stayed in Wakanda for the most part, during those weeks. Eventually we came to the conclusion that my whole trouble with the Accords could be summarized in one point:

"Anonymity." I announced. "That's the real issue here. Anonymity, or rather, this document's refusal to allow it."

"That's not possible," T'Challa stated. "The whole point of the Accords is the ensure, to its best ability, the safety of people, both gifted and not, in all the countries that have agreed. To make the so-called heroes have accountability, we cannot guarantee that when we don't even know who it is we're dealing with!"

I did not answer for a while, giving him time to calm down,

"What you seem to be forgetting, Panther-Prince." I just couldn't help the slight dig, I knew who he truly was, who he was meant to be. "Is that not everyone can be like us, like most of the Avengers. And even me… the world knows me, yes, but they know me as the Rose of Chaos. Even the government, back when I dealt directly with them, they knew me as Alfdis Eisenhardt, and while the name wasn't exactly fake, it's not the one I was born with. I changed it, before first going into a meeting with them all, why? Because I wanted to protect my family: my parents, my brother, my uncle and aunt and cousin… all those who'd nothing to do with my decision to step into the spotlight, to fight for what I believe in. Most of them are actually perfectly capable of protecting themselves, as should be obvious once you understand who they are… but I just didn't want to take the chance. And what about the heroes whose family could not protect themselves? Spider-Man has an aunt, a fiancé he's set to marry before the end of the year, and she too has family… All of them, people who wouldn't be able to protect themselves, if Spider-Man's enemies were to come calling."

"It's not like we're giving the information to enemies..." Shuri began.

"Please!" I just couldn't help interrupting her, I couldn't. "Princess! We're none of us that naïve! No, you're not giving the information to the heroes' enemies, but there are bad people everywhere. And it doesn't even have to be someone bad working with the UN, it's as easy as a villain kidnapping one of those good men and women's families, or threatening someone they love, or simply getting a hacker to get the information for them!" I let out a breath, running a hand through my head as I forced myself to calm down. "Don't take me wrong. I understand what you want to do with this. And I definitely agree. Peace Accords are as necessary now as they were fifty years ago, perhaps even more so; but you need to make sure to protect the gifted as much as you intend to protect the baseline humans. While they might be more vulnerable than us, that doesn't mean we're invincible, not by a long shot."

"She does have a point." T'Chaka's statement put an end to the argument instantly. "We shall work on this before presenting the final draft to the UN Panel for consideration next week."

What followed was probably the most grueling few days of my life. I only left the meeting room to eat, sleep and shower, didn't even check my phone most of the time. Which was pretty much how, the night after we finally declared the Accords finished to everyone's satisfaction, I checked my phone and was surprised to find almost half a dozen messages from Hakon. The first three were announcing that Ross had been arrested, indicted and then released on bail, all in a lapse of two days. I was quite surprised that the courts seemed to be moving so fast… but decided I didn't know enough of military law to be sure of anything. There was another couple of texts complaining about several people in high places, apparently including the president himself, blocking things from going through. I was quite prepared for the last one to be bad news, except it was exactly the opposite; no one knew exactly what had happened, but the trial was to begin the following day.

Ross trial delayed things for us as well, the UN seemed to have trouble knowing how to proceed when the man who'd been spearheading the whole thing was facing trial for 'crimes against humanity' (it was the press using those words, but considering that Ross's proven crimes went from harassment and aggravated assault, all the way to illegal imprisonment, human experimentation and possibly even several accounts of murder… well, they weren't exactly wrong).

I was in DC when the trial finally came to an end, several weeks later. Ross actually got lucky, he didn't get capital punishment, not even prison time… then again, everything he'd worked for his whole life was gone, he'd lost any and all medals, titles, money and anything else he might have had, and he was effectively going to spend the rest of his life in what was little more than house-arrest, alone. Perhaps that was the worst possible outcome for him.

(I didn't find out until much later, but it turned out that Betty Banner had gotten someone to arrange a private meeting for her with the president; no one knew what she said to him exactly, but whatever it was, it made President Cockrum pull his support; Ross was formally arraigned the next day)

 **xXx**

I was invited to the meeting at the UN HQs in NY to officially discuss the Accords. My first surprise came when I saw the words on the cover of the finished document: 'Pax Accords'… the Peace Accords. According to King T'Chaka's explanation, the name was chosen in honor of the Goddess of Peace, because that was what we all wanted to achieve with those Accords. I might have been a bit high on my own ego, but all I could think about in that moment, was that only one person had used those words to refer to the document through it all: me.

The next surprise, the actual shock, came when the new representatives of the US arrived to the meeting. I'd known already Hakon could be there, and I recognized the second, if only from visions: Air-Force Major Esteban Burke; the third I'd never seen, but I recognized his name when he introduced himself: Gral. Bartholomew Higgins, he was the man who'd phoned Hakon the morning after Ross's conviction. I had no idea what all three of them were doing there together.

As it happened, the answer was an obvious one, one so obvious it had somehow never occurred to me. While Hakon had been called to serve as liaison for the US with the UN in the matter of the Accords (was even offer to have his military commission renewed, with a promotion to Major General included) he couldn't do it. It was a conflict of interest, because he was a gifted, and thus a subject of the Accords, himself. As it happened, Lt. Coloner Burke too had been offered the same deal, and while he wasn't gifted himself, a member of his family was (though he refused to reveal who). In the end, though, both were willing to serve as advisers for the new Secretary of State, Gral. Higgins himself.

And so it began.

Things were both easier and harder than I expected them to be, than they'd been in my visions. Not that the visions were gone at all. At least I got an explanation for it. From Helena of all people! Apparently Tamara Walker had been ranting about crimes Karl Mordo needed to pay for, crimes he'd never committed… it'd eventually come out that in her search for a way to capture Mordo (and quite possibly to get something against Stephen too) she'd come across a spell that was supposed to allow her peeks into parallel universes. Supposedly she'd done it to find out what Mordo (and Stephen) were going to do before they did it, and 'protect' the world from him/them. While it had allowed her to find Mordo and capture him, the crimes she insisted he should pay for, he'd never committed in our universe. I was also beginning to suspect that her so-called peek had been more than that, a lot more. She was behind my sudden visions, and the reason I couldn't reconcile what I saw in those with reality, was because they weren't of mine (and while that helped calm me some, I couldn't help but wonder how things could have been so different, mostly in a bad way, in some other universe… though, in the end, I really didn't have the time to worry about that).

At first President Cockrum had wanted to have the first meeting with Captain America. Even with everything I'd already done to try and make things better, I just wasn't sure if it would be enough. Thankfully, in the end I didn't need to be the one to try and explain why that wasn't a good idea. Brigadier Gral. Burke (he'd gotten the same deal as Hakon) did that, pointing out that while the Avengers might be the 'newest' superhero team, they weren't the only one, and definitely not the one with the most experience, even if they had fought an alien invasion. Some of the other people might feel left out, or that they weren't taken seriously, or that it was all just a political move; they (we) needed to include as many different groups as possible from the get go.

Cockrum was a reasonable man, or at least, more so than either of his predecessors (Ellis had had HYDRA in his backyard, and McKenna was the one to allow Stryker and his attrocities; while Cockrum had supported Ross, a case could be made for the man not having known quite how bad things were on that front); he agreed and invitations were sent out.

It was so that to the second meeting arrived several different individuals, and they each took turns introducing themselves:

"Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, leader of the Sentinels and Queen of the Inhumans." My adopted daughter introduced herself regally.

We were keeping our own connection under wraps, just like I was still keeping most of the civilian names I'd had, under wraps. They were the kind of information that the governments, and even the UN, simply did not need to know.

"Steve Rogers, Captain America, leader of the Avengers." The blonde introduced himself.

Sharon was there as his second, I'd insisted on that, though she wasn't required to introduce herself, as was the case with Grant who, as always, was standing with my daughter.

Tony was there too, though while he did introduce himself as Iron Man and an Avenger, in that moment he was there because he'd offered his services to outfit the UN Task Force that would be serving with the superhero teams. A Task Force that would be lead by Phil and Darcy (everyone was aware of Darcy's own status as a mutant, and had decided it was a good combination, a baseline human and a gifted who were good at working together); it was also why Skye and Grant had taken command of the Sentinels, though all non-gifted members of the team would be moving to work for the Task-Force (meaning Melinda, Trip, Bobbie, Lance and FitzSimmons), leaving the Sentinels as one more superhero team (formed mostly by humans, as well as an enhanced and a single human; as Grant had refused the offer to lead one of the teams with the Task-Force to stay with his wife).

And on and on the introductions went. Charles and Erik were there as joint leaders of the Mutant Community, while Jean and Rogue acted as leaders of their respective X-Men teams (with the backing of their own matches). Reed Richards attended to represent his team, though reminding everyone that they were retired and would only act if it was a matter of the world being at stake (which was just fine for everyone). Stephen, Muse (Cassie Blake-Conant) and Warren (Piper Halliwell) presented themselves as joint representatives of the magical community, each of them speaking for a different group. Jeremiah Holdsclaw had been chosen to represent the several tribes of skinwalkers in America, while Vivian attended as the alpha of loup-garou pack; both quite willing to work together, they were basically the same, even if from different continents.

Perhaps the greatest shock for everyone in the room, was when the last guest introduced himself.

"I am Kal-El, of Krypton, one of the three remaining children of a lost planet." Clark was in full Superman get-up. "I am also Superman, one of the leaders of the Justice League."

Chloe was with him, in her Cyan persona, though she didn't speak.

The shock as certain individuals found out that there were more 'aliens' living in our planet was quite evident. While Superman's introduction to the world in Metropolis hadn't exactly gone unnoticed, the League was good at dealing with things before they called global attention (they had managed to stop a possible alien invasion and no one outside Smallville had known a thing!); and even the first-page expose Clark and Chloe had done regarding the JSA and Checkmate hadn't been quite enough to make people realize there was more going on in Kansas than most would expect.

Later on Chloe explained to me that after discussing things they'd decided to leave the JSA in the past, to keep with the fiction that they'd all died in 2011, during the last confrontation against Checkmate. The League was said to have been formed by new heroes, seeking to honor the lost team; and since Checkmate were the only 'outsiders' who'd ever known who all were part of the Society, the rest of the world were none the wiser.

Those were a grueling few days. Most misgivings were handled quickly and easily enough. Steve had his doubts concerning the UN, which was understandable considering that his point of reference was the League of Nations, which had proven to be a failure what with WWII and everything… Sharon, who had more experience with global diplomacy, was able to settle his doubts for the most part. We also all agreed on all members of the Task-Force being as much under constant supervision as the gifted themselves; after all, we wanted the Accords to be equal for all.

There were long talks concerning the representatives. Where it came to superheroes, they all had to sign, whether it was with their legal name or an alias, that was up to them, though they needed to provide a reliable way to get in touch with them; to facilitate that part Tony offered the latest StarkPhones, untraceable unless a particular order was entered from a main server, an agreement was reached on who and under which circumstances that order could be given (basically when it was a matter of life-or-death, either the hero's or a civilian's). The gifted (mutants, metas, inhumans, etc), who weren't involved with any 'heroing' did not need to sign, though if they ever needed help they could seek their representatives; also, if they committed a crime, that same representative would be called in and the case would be handled directly by a team from the UN.

The next point that concerned us was the military involvement on the US's part. That one kept the argument going on for two days, we seemed to be going on circles in a seemingly never ending discussion, until I decided enough was enough.

"Can you not see how unfair it is?" I finally offered. "This Accords, they're supposed to be of all the Nations, and the Gifted, with the UN, not with a specific country, much less their military. Can you not see how it makes things look, when the US insists on involving their military? If you want to be more involved, by all means, send some of your people to join the Task Force. But understand, they will no longer be part of your army, they will not answer to you, but to the UN. From where I'm standing that's not a bad thing, if we want to be equals and all that."

Eventually Higgins agreed, and it was agreed he'd not be returning the following day; Hakon and Esteban though, would, as they'd be joining the Task-Force themselves. (I was also quite sure many former SHIELD Agents were likely to end there, sooner or later).

Eventually we arrived to the last day of the talks, everything seemed to be ready. There would be an official event in Vienna (as Higgins final contribution was suggesting that the Accords distance themselves from the US a bit, in order to better assure the possible signers of equality, both between the various nations, and those gifted and not) where the Pax Accords would be ratified and whoever was missing would be invited to sign.

If there was one thing I never expected, it was to become a point of contention in the Accords myself. Apparently no one expected it when I refused to commit to anything, to joining any teams, or the Task Force itself.

"You don't see it, do you?" I asked when I got tired of so many people insisting on the same, over and over. "I am the Rose of Chaos… and that's a symbol to more than just you."

"You know them." Surprisingly, Esteban was the first to understand it. "You know all of them, or potentially all of them. It's only to be expected, after all, you're the Head of the Gifted Alliance. You cannot work for the UN, it wouldn't be fair; because you either lead them, or work for us, you cannot have it both ways. And neither can we."

No, we couldn't, the potential for some kind of abuse, on either side, was just too great. They could try to use me to get to someone, or I could (purposefully or not) interfere, believing I knew better. It was better if we did not give either side chance for such abuses.

"I am the Rose of Chaos." I repeated, softly. "I am proud of that, of everything I've achieved for my people. But this time, this time it's better if others take charge."

It was, I'd already interfered enough as it was. Even what I'd done already could have done horribly wrong; I could have made things worse, instead of better, if I'd failed to understand my visions, or if things had been any more different between the two realities. Through my life I'd grown so used to having all the answers… I needed to take a step back, let other people be in charge. Perhaps I was finally, after so long, beginning to understand why Mama and Papa had chosen to not to interfere with things all those years prior…

 **xXx**

I didn't stop having visions. Even after distancing myself from the last leg of planning for the Pax Accords. They kept coming, every night, sometimes even when I was awake. They shifted, like variations of events; made me suspect that the peek hadn't been into one alternate universe, but several. It was beginning to drive me to distraction.

I saw Mama, in her coral pink dress, facing Captain America and his 'team', all on her own, Natasha called her 'Princess of Death'… I saw Mama walking through a government building, then there was a shot and she was falling… Mama and Papa, surrounded by humanoids in foreign uniforms, looking at a seemingly innocuous metal sphere… Iron Man, Vision, Spider-Man and a bulkier War Machine standing together, the only Avengers left… Vision twisting on the ground as a creature tore the mind-gem off his forehead, with Wanda wailing in despair and denial in the background…

Finally the time came, and we all met in Vienna for the ratification of the Accords. I was the first to sign, supposedly as a gesture of good-will, and to set an example to those who might still have their doubts. Then came the superheros, one by one, and the community leaders, and then the human leaders of the UN Task Forces (apparently that one had been Esteban's idea too).

A man tried to create chaos bombing the summit but failed, Muse caught on to what he was planning and Sachiko (the Sanctum Masters and Wong had insisted on accompanying Stephen and Helena) sent the bomb into the Mirror Dimension, where it blew without causing lasting damage. The man, Halmut Zemo, ended becoming the first to experience UN justice in relation to the Pax Accords.

There was a bit of a 'get together' following the formalities, and I attended, knowing it was expected of me. It wasn't bad, got the chance to stop and chat with some people I hadn't seen in quite a while, it was nice. Eventually Esteban approached me:

"Ma'am..." He greeted me with an exaggerated bow. "Might I introduce to you my dear wife? Though I do believe you've met each other before..."

Beside him was standing a honey-brown eyed brunette, almost six feet tall, muscular, in a gorgeous floor-length dress; I had, indeed, met her before.

"Hello Diana." I greeted her with a smile. "Seems destiny smiled at you, finally."

"That it did." She smiled, pressing her side to her husband's own. "That it did. And you my friend? How has destiny been treating you?"

As if summoned with some silent signal, Pietro was by my side a fraction of a second later, an arm around my waist. Esteban actually blinked a couple of times, as his mind did his best to catch up with what had just happened; Diana just smiled. Neither of us needed to say anything else, not really; we understood exactly what was going through the other's mind.

I wasn't exactly surprised when Phil and Darcy approached me, though their choice of topic of conversation certainly did:

"Why did you allow the Accords to happen?" Darcy asked, blunt as ever.

I was still trying to process what she'd just said, when Phil intervened.

"It's not an accusation." He clarified. "It would never be that. It's not that we expect, or even want you to control things, but we're surprised. We know you're, to some degree at least, behind former-Secretary Ross's sudden fall from grace. Really, Tony has been trying to achieve that in some way since he first befriended Bruce, though he never considered putting the people you did on the job."

"Hakon is both a lawyer and a military man." I explained succinctly. "He's also had experience with military men being monstrous bastards. It's likely that the only reason he hadn't acted before was because he did not know how bad Ross was. That's what Matt and Nina were there for; everyone else… that wasn't on me."

"Still, the Accords…" Darcy insisted.

"I support the accords, you know? I always have." I thought it best to start with that. "Even back in the seventies, when those deals between the mutant community and the military were made… they may not have worked as well as we all hoped, but I supported things then, and I still do now. Also, the deal being made with the UN lends for a more positive outlook on things."

Not a word was said, but I could see they were just waiting, they knew there was more.

"You know, most of the world blame SHIELD's negative stance on mutants on Howard Stark, they say he hated them." I commented suddenly. "But that's not true. I would know. Uncle Howard was always fascinated by gifted people, from the moment he met my brother, that never faltered. Aunt Maria on the other hand… her dad was Jewish, he died in the camps, she and her mom barely got out of there in time. When the Brotherhood first came into being… she was afraid of Magneto, of him becoming a new Hitler, didn't understand what Erik had been through that made him act like that. Uncle Howard knew what his wife's reaction would be if she ever so much as suspected someone of being mutant or gifted. He intentionally ruined his relationship with Charles, both to keep him away and to make him understand the danger of revealing himself and his school to people who's stand he couldn't possibly know. He still helped where he could, donating money through me whenever he could, and keeping an eye out for not only Charles, but any and all Gifted." I took a deep breath. "The deal with the military… it was supposed to help, to make things better, and for a while it did. Of course, with HYDRA buried everywhere it was only a matter of time before it failed." I swallowed quietly, forcing myself not to remember a bitter goodbye… "I still believe in the spirit of that alliance. I was never against the Accords. The only reason I interfered at all was to make sure both sides would be protected." I shook my head. "We all know something like this would have happened sooner or later. If not today then next month, or next year, it was always going to happen. And the longer we waited, the worst things might have ended up being."

Also, though they might not know it just yet, something was coming. Either Thanos, or something else entirely. It was better if a system was already in place, and people more or less used to it, before disaster struck and we needed to act. Better if civilians knew who they could trust, believe in, rather than have them put their lives at risk in the middle of a battle because they didn't know what to do, who was supposed to be protecting them.

I could see that Darcy and Phil still weren't completely convinced but they'd decided not to insist, that would have to be enough for the time being. Deep down they probably knew I was right, the Accords were always going to happen, and better they did with us having a say in them, than when the whole world came to hate or fear us. I'd already seen the world go to hell once, humans at war with the gifted until there was nothing and no one left, the last thing I needed was to live it. It was also an understanding I hoped none of them would ever have, that they wouldn't need to.

As the night approached its end I didn't notice when I began to sing, it just felt right in that moment:

"This wind it blows

Cuts to the bone

The hunger grows

We're getting closer and closer"

"And everyone's watching

It all unfold

Everyone's watching

Who's gonna take the throne?

Everyone's watching

Who's gonna run the show?"

"Everybody wants a hero

Everybody wants someone to lay it all down on the line

Everybody wants a hero

Everybody wants someone who's gonna fight fire with fire"

My visions worried me. Was I condemned to see the tragedies of several universes for the rest of my life, unable to do anything to help them? Or was it that there was something I was meant to see and it just hadn't come to me (or I just hadn't paid enough attention to it) yet? I'd consulted with other precogs, but while some of them had seen things from other realities, none of them had it as serious as I did. Was it a curse, a blessing or something else altogether? I both craved and feared the answer.

"The ground it shakes

These iron chains

It's made to break

Who's gonna rise up to save us?"

"And everyone's watching

It all unfold

Everyone's watching

Who's gonna take the throne?

Everyone's watching

Who's gonna run the show?"

"Everybody wants a hero

Everybody wants someone to lay it all down on the line

Everybody wants a hero

Everybody wants someone who's gonna fight fire with fire"

Something was coming, that I did know for sure. Even without being able to truly parse through all my visions; it was an instinct deep inside me. Something was coming, it was going to be big, and nothing and no one would be the same once it was all said and done… it might concern Thanos, and the Infinity Stones… I wondered if we were ready for it; the part of me that was Goddess of Faith wanted to believe that we would be, that all would be alright; but the other part, the part that had seen so much darkness, from both my universe and others, wondered if we were doomed already…

"Everybody wants a hero

Everybody wants someone

Everybody wants a hero

Everybody wants someone"

"Everybody wants a hero

Everybody wants someone

Everybody wants a hero

Everybody wants someone"

" _I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately you're right, yet fail all the same. Dread it, run from it; destiny still arrives."_

 _A hole in the sky, something coming out, at first it looked like a shadow, or a cloud, or perhaps insects… only it turned out to be something much, much worse… an enemy army, aliens, a new attempt at invasion… except this time they had no intention to conquer, only destroy._

" _Death follows it like a shadow."_

 _It was Thanos, he was there, and his mere presence was enough to freeze anyone's blood, to almost rob them of their breath. It was an instinctive fear, even those who'd never seen him, had never even heard about him, knew he was probably the most dangerous being they'd ever see._

" _We cannot keep reacting, keep waiting for the attack to come so we might respond. It's time we act first. It's time we take matters into our own hands."_

" _If we keep waiting… there might not be an Earth left by the time we act."_

" _I once told Loki that if we couldn't protect the Earth we'd damn sure avenge it. Seemed like the thing to say at the time. Now I realize how stupid it was. Avenging is pointless, we need to protect."_

 _Vision screamed and moaned and twisted, fighting to free himself but it was pointless, the being above him was too strong; the moment the claw pried the yellow infinity stone from his forehead Vision's eyes flashed from yellow to blue. In the background Wanda could be heard wailing._

" _No dirweg Meril (Be watchful Rose)! Ohta naa deno' lle (War is upon you)."_

I woke up drenched in sweat and tears, Pietro's arms around me seemingly the only thing keeping me together. Something big was coming indeed, and I had no idea what to do. The visions had been bad enough, and then those words at the end, I was reasonably sure that had been Mama, and her speaking elvish would seem to be confirmation of that. Then the phone rang, it was Helena, Tamara had just escaped confinement. I knew it inside, that's how it began…

* * *

Yes, that's how it begins... I don't have much to say right now. Except to wonder what you imagine is coming, and hoping you're eager for it.

Next week we go back to space, for Loki to tell the story of the last part of the trip among the stars. And show how it all comes together.

Thanos is Coming! War is Coming!

See ya next week (please don't forget to leave a review!)


	5. Indigo

This fic will have a lot of references to the GotG comics. I've read none of them, got it all from wiki, adapting it some so it would fit believably with the MCU. I'm also warning you all that there are some serious references to GotG Vol.2, in case you for some reason haven't watched the movie. I thought long and hard about how to handle the events of that movie, and in the end, this is what came out, I hope you like it.

Should I be warning for Lady Loki? It's not as obvious as it was in Brethil, and if it bothers you, you can ignore it for the most part.

Dreamcast: Emily Browning as Nightingale, Taylor Handley (with long blonde hair) as Adam.

The song in this chapter is: "To be Human" as sung by Sia and Labrinth.

* * *

 **Indigo (Loki)**

Everything in existence is Connected at its core, we just need to find that Connection…

Space is not a friendly place. Going from planet to planet is not an easy way to live, not belonging to any one place, having no family, no home to go back to… and it's like everyone you happen to meet someone knows this, like they judge you for it, find you lacking. They push you aside, make sure you're aware that they have what you don't. Unless they need you for something, then they'll welcome you, be kind to you, grateful and so much more… as long as you don't try to pretend to be one of them.

Some people actually like leading such lives. Like the Ravagers, we'd come across them a handful of times, were forced to teach them why it was a bad idea to try and steal from us. They learned, and I might even be willing to say we became friends, after a fashion. I knew my love and I'd never be able to live like that, not for good; but then again, we didn't have to. We had friends, and families, they were waiting for us back home, and we'd return to them… as soon as we finished our mission.

Most would believe it was all done. We had the Collector's information on the Infinity Stones, and those connected in any way to them (and Tivan was clever enough to add Thanos without us having to insist on it). There was more information than we ever expected to get, from the basic knowledge of the stones (including the simplified story of their origins), all the way to the last instances where one or more were known to have been used; on the latter, he included a surprising number, except for what had been happening on Earth in the last century, apparently the planet was far enough for him to either be ignorant or uninterested in it, and with no reason to change his mind.

The only reason we hadn't yet begun the trip back, was the Stone. We knew Nova Prime was in possession of the Power Stone, had a very good idea where it was kept; and the clincher: there was no doubt Thanos would be going after it sooner or later. The only reason we hadn't gone after the Orb ourselves already was because the last thing we needed was to make enemies of the Nova Empire. Also, if Thanos wasn't yet aware of the location of one of the treasures he coveted, we wouldn't be the ones to direct his attention there. Neither of us needed much time to think about what would happen to Xandar, were Thanos to pay them a 'visit'; the mess with Ronan had been bad enough for them, they didn't deserve to have an even worse being turn their fury on them.

So we stayed around, still hopping from planet to planet. Doing odd jobs, helping where we could, and trying to think of a way to convince the Nova Corps to release the Orb into our custody, even knowing what the object was (because we were reasonably sure they knew… and even if they, for some reason, didn't; they were certainly aware the damage it could cause).

We were in Berhert. The planet was nice, peaceful and didn't really need us, so we were treating our stay there as a vacation more than anything else. And that's what it was, until an explosion in the forests east from the only actual city on the planet had their ruler, Princess Daydra, calling on us. Sagittarians were a gray-skinned, peaceful race, with no special talent for war; which was probably why they'd been enslaved once, for many years. The Princess had enough political talent to be able to gather allies who helped her free her people, and then lead them into creating a new home for themselves in a formerly uninhabited planet. They weren't warriors, though, not like us; and thus she hoped we might be able, and willing to help.

We were told it wasn't the first time there were explosions in the forest. The last time had been not quite a week prior (by the planet's reckoning); but by the time a group of volunteers had been sent, there was nothing to find but broken branches and the remains of a fire. We, of course, accepted, more curious than worried about what might be going on in that forest.

It turned out, there was no reason to worry, or at least not the reasons the Sagittarians would consider worrisome. The explosion had been caused by a somewhat forced landing, of none other ship than the Milano (and, as we eventually found out, so had the first explosion, though the most recent one wasn't too bad, apparently it was simply that the ship wasn't yet fully repaired from whatever it was that caused them to crash-land the first time). The Guardians of the Galaxy were there, with two new members: former Ravager Kraglin Obfonteri, and a young female with pink skin and insectoid qualities they introduced as Mantis.

I was honestly curious. I had never before seen anyone quite like Mantis. However, before I could ask, my love walked right past and straight to Star-Lord (as the half-human Peter Quill liked being called), embracing him without even saying a word. I watched them for a moment, waiting, Quill wasn't the kind to be very touchy-feely, and the last thing I wanted was for him to hurt my love's feelings… I never expected him to pretty much fall into her embrace, to the point that she actually needed to draw on some magic to be able to hold him up.

That truly shocked me, and yet, I knew better than to interrupt. So instead I just lead the group to the little house on the edge of the city that Princess Daydra had allocated us for our stay, made sure to send a message so there wouldn't be anyone worrying about the explosion, and then met everyone else in the sitting room.

They'd all found places to sit, and drinks, all except Peter, who was laying on the widest couch (or what passed for a couch in that planet), his head was on my love's lap and she was slowly carding her fingers through his hair, a rhythmic, soothing motion, and she hummed, probably helping him in ways none of us could begin to comprehend. No one said a word until he fell asleep, and even then Nightingale didn't stop running her fingers through his head.

"Why is he in so much pain?" She asked the team quietly.

The story they told us… it was like nothing we could have ever expected. We knew Quill wasn't entirely human, knew it even before the man revealed what the Nova Corps had found out, for him to have managed to touch an Infinity Stone and survived… it was the kind of thing no one entirely mortal could possibly achieve (there was still the matter of Jane and the Aether, of course, but I'd rather not ponder on that one too long). Still, to learn that he'd been sired by a Celestial's Avatar, and what that being, Ego, had intended to do; what had become of all of Quill's half-siblings. I could feel my love's motherly heart breaking as she bent over the sleeping male's form protectively and began practically crooning at him, it reminded me so much of the last time she'd held our son like that, the night after he accidentally ended in the healing tents, during the war, when he'd come to us, wanting to know why someone had hurt his friends so badly… It was beyond his understanding, his young mind unable to comprehend the cruelty some hearts held.

"Mom…?" Quill croaked, still half-asleep.

"Oh little one..." She whispered, brushing a kiss on his brow. "I'm afraid I'm not your mother, but I'll do my best to help you, if you'll allow it."

For a moment not a word was said, and then there was an odd sound coming from him, like a wet chuckle of some kind.

"You call me little one." He muttered quietly, without really moving off her lap. "I'm bigger and older than you."

"You may be bigger, but then again, many people are." My love scoffed, a loving smile still painted on her lips. "But I assure you, you're not older. If you must know, I am 102 years old."

Yes, that was my love. Nevermind that most human women had an odd aversion to revealing their age, she had no such fears, and I knew she was actually quite proud of everything she'd done and been through during her life.

Quill still looked taken aback by it all. A vulnerable expression on his eyes. My love reacted instantly, enveloping him in a hug, and while her voice was quiet enough I was reasonably sure no one but Quill heard her, I could hear her inside my own mind:

"I know I could never replace your mom Peter, and I'd never try." She assured him. "But I will always be here when you need me, always."

Quill did not answer, but his single nod against the side of her neck was more than enough for the time being.

The rest of the story was told then, with Quill half sitting beside my match, half curling into her like a child; though none of us mocked him for it, didn't even mention it. It was quite clear he needed it, the comfort, the support, and he clearly hadn't had a mother care for him for a very long time, ever since he was seven or eight… and then we learned what had happened with Ego, and what Yondu Udonta, the Ravager had done…

Nightingale reacted automatically, tightening her hold on Quill as he finally, finally began crying, tears of grief for the loss of the only father he'd ever known.

"I don't even know..." Quill admitted after what seemed like forever. "I don't even know why I feel like this, not really. It's not like he ever cared for being my father..."

"It matters no if he never said, he was your father." I couldn't stop myself from speaking up. "Take it from me, I myself am adopted, I haven't had the most stable, or even the healthiest, relationship with my father. For too long we let our differences define us, separate us. Truth is, in the end, he's my father. He chose me, when the man who sired me abandoned me, when no one else cared for me. He chose me, took me in, brought me to where others opened their hearts to me. It may have taken a long time for me to understand it, understand him, but I have. I know that, he's my father, and I love him. We might not share blood, but that matters not. It's the same with you. Yondu Udonta may not have sired you, but he cared for you. Doesn't matter what circumstances made your paths cross, it was still his choice to not only take you, but to keep you, to look after you. He may not have been the best at it, there may have been times when you doubted everything about him, but I'm sure deep down you knew he cared." He wouldn't have stayed otherwise, I was sure of that much. "And in the end, he loved you more than his own life… you might not like that, might even hate it, hate what the loss of him makes you feel, but don't forget that it shows how much he loved you. And there's nothing wrong with loving him in return, with grieving his loss..."

"He never… knew..." He practically hiccuped.

"He knew." I placed my hand on his shoulder without even stopping to think about it. "Trust me. A parent always knows."

"You have children." Kraglin commented, and while he was curious, I had a feeling he was also trying to help take the attention off Quill, at least for a while.

Or no, not just 'Quill', Peter; judging by the way my beloved refused to let him go we'd just gained another son. I didn't mind… much.

"Five, not all of them by birth, and one passed away more than twenty years ago." I stated seriously. "Fenrir is a skinchanger, most likely the last survivor of his planet, considering his arrival to Asgard. I did my best to raise him since he was but an infant, though I was little more than a child myself. He's now married himself, to Lady Ylva, one of the Valkyries." I spoke I projected pictures of each of them. "Helena is our first-born, she's a spellweaver, like me, as well as the Queen of Helheim, the Realm of the Dead. Hakon was born to my half-brother, he's half-Jotun, half-elf, we adopted him when he was three and have raised him since; he's an Ice Elemental, a lawyer and a military man. Our second-born is Rose Alfdis, gifted with the Sight, as well as being a Fire Elemental and warrior by her own choice; she's called the 'Rose of Chaos' in our world, and has lead the biggest alliance of gifted ever for many years. Our youngest… when Rose was five she'd a vision, her first one, we saved a little human girl, took her in, she became our daughter as well: Willow Anya. We did our best to raise her, and she eventually made a life all her own, she married a good man, a military man, and had two children: Django and Nina. Of all of them only Nina still lives. Django was lost to us all years ago." I made a pause before remembering something. "Oh, and there's also Rose's own adopted daughter: Skye."

I could tell none of them knew quite what to say to that, but that was okay, I knew our lives were a bit much for many. And as long as neither of them said anything offensive I didn't care. Of course, the last thing I expected was for Drax to begin talking about his own family, his wife and daughter. And judging by the other Guardians' expressions, I wasn't the only one surprised by that.

Drax's own memories of his wife and daughter ended in tragedy, as we knew it would, and then there was his determination to make sure justice would be served. Ronan may be dead already, but the one he held ultimately responsible was Thanos. Gamora herself supported that path, as she too wanted to see the Titan dead for all the hurt he'd caused her, her family and her whole race (she was the only survivor of her whole species!). Rocket and Groot considered them family and were willing to follow where they lead; even Mantis could be considered in that category (that, and she seemed to have nothing and no one else, with Ego gone). And Peter… despite his seemingly aloof attitude, his devil-may-care persona, he was someone who believed in doing the right thing. Kraglin was harder to understand; he was a former Ravager, Yondu's first-mate, but he just didn't believe he could go back to that, not without his old captain, he probably didn't feel right with the others; also, he respected Peter, and what he'd meant to Yondu, so he stayed.

*Should we…?* My love half-asked inside our bond.

I knew what she was wondering. Should we tell them the truth? About us, our origins, and most importantly, about our reason for traveling through the stars? They knew some of it, necessary considering Gamora was with them, and she remembered me from the time Thanos found me and 'groomed' me to lead the Chitauri on an invasion on Midgard. Still, there was much we hadn't told them, none of them. Perhaps it was time to come clean. After all, they were ideal allies, and since our enemy was already theirs…

"Honesty on your side deserves some more on ours." I decided, letting my facade fall. "You know my name already, of course. What you don't know is what it means. Then again, even Thanos never fully knew what it meant. I am Loki, son of Odin and Frigg, second Prince of Asgard and fully recognized as the best spellweaver in all the Realms; with me is my match and consort, Nightingale of Midgard, reincarnation of Princess Tinúviel of Alfheim and Asgard."

"That sounds complicated." Kraglin commented in a drawl.

"Ours is a long and complex story, but if you're willing to hear it, we're willing to tell it." My love told them serenely.

They all nodded. And so we began. Ours was a long story, the length of two lifetimes even; and while we didn't hold back much, we avoided details we found unnecessary, while at the same time making sure they understood who we were, where we stood, and why exactly we had spent the last two and a half years hopping from planet to planet.

"You're going after Thanos." Rocket stated, like he couldn't believe it.

"It's more like he's going after our planet, and the 9 Realms in general, and we're doing what's necessary to make sure he will not win." My love corrected calmly.

"Do you really believe you have a hope of winning?" We all could hear Kraglin's disbelief. "Terra is a primitive planet. Mere mortals…"

"You've no idea what mere mortals are capable of!" My love hissed, turning abruptly defensive.

"Have you really learned nothing Kraglin?" Peter almost snarled at him. "Human, Xandarian, Centaurian… the species doesn't matter. No one is too strong to be defeated, nor too weak to be unable to fight if they need and wish to." He scoffed. "If humans were really as useless as you believe I'd be dead, would have died a long time ago..."

"I..." Kraglin seemed to be honestly speechless for a short time. "It's nothing against you Peter it's just… it's been so long. I don't see a human when I you, I just see Peter Quill, the cheeky brat the Captain decided to keep and raise himself."

"Never underestimate people for the race they're born into." I decided to drive the point home. "My match may have been reborn human, but she's stronger than you'll ever comprehend. She's stood up to many enemies already, Thanos himself included, and will do so again."

"And you'll allow it?" Drax asked, not quite liking it. "Wouldn't you rather protect her?"

He was the protective kind, clearly, and having lost his family it wasn't surprising that he'd a hard time understanding why I'd let mine fight. I could see that my love was all for defending herself, her choices, but in the end she didn't; she could tell the kind of man Drax was, and that he didn't mean his words as an insult. It wasn't that he thought less of her for being a woman, he worked with Gamora after all, and even Mantis. But he could see himself in me already, and he was the kind of man that wouldn't wish his suffering on anyone. It was nice, in a sense; we barely qualified as friends, but he worried about what Thanos might do to my love.

"I'd rather respect her own choices." I told him, doing my best to explain. "My Nightingale is no weakling, she can stand up for herself. My magic is as much hers as its mine and she's trained in battle. I trust no one more than I do her, though she's certainly closely followed by our children, my brother, and those we've seen fit to call family through our lives."

"Another thing you must understand." My beloved saw fit to finally speak up then. "Is that we're a match. We live and die with and for each other. That also means that if one of us dies, so will the other. So it'd be pointless for me to stay away, if he gets killed I will die to; and I'm pretty good at having his back, as much as he has mine." She smiled, the smile she usually reserved for me, letting all the force of our love permeate her voice, her aura, the very air around us. "So we will live for each other, we will fight, and if necessary die for each other; and as long as the stars keep shining in the sky, we will keep finding each other, life after life."

"Until the end of time." I added for good measure.

I wasn't sure if they really understood it, or not, in the end none of them said a thing, but that was okay, decisions needed to be made, and time would be needed for that. There was no hurry.

 **xXx**

I wasn't surprised when, after dinner, I found my love standing on the house's backyard, which was more like the beginning of the forest (the property had no clear limits on that side, as no one was really interested in claiming the forests). She was humming, not the kind of humming she used in place of singing, but the one that announced she was mentally readying herself for a song. I half-noticed when our guests followed me, all clearly wondering what was going on; thankfully, before any of them thought to actually ask any questions, my match opened her mouth and began singing; from the first line I recognized the song, it was one she'd been preparing for many weeks, ever since getting over what had happened with Xandar (apparently singing that song for Tivan had truly helped her). I also knew she'd need me so I went to stand beside her, silent, waiting for my cue:

"Under rich, relentless skies

I've been setting highs

I felt you walk right through me

You're the thing that I invoke

My all persistent goal

Sent to make me crazy"

And there, that was my cue, so with a smile (which I knew she would be able to see) I sang my part:

"And though it's hard now

With time, it works out"

Then came my favorite part, I'd always loved the both of us singing together, and while the song's rhythm was new and I was still unused to it, I was singing with my love, what else could I ask for?

"To be human is to love

Even when it gets too much

I'm not ready to give up

To be human is to love

Even when it gets too much

I'm not ready to give up"

The Guardians were hanging onto every word, made me wonder what kind of connection they had to music. I knew Peter was a bit obsessed with it, about the walkman he'd carried for more than twenty years, and the new device he had nowadays. Still, a part of me wondered if any of them (if all of them) might be able to understand music enough to pick up on the subtle threads of magic my beloved I instinctively wove into every word. Well, Mantis knew, I was quite sure of it, considering the way she kept staring at us, her face shifting minutely as she picked up on every change. The others… we'd see. At the very least they seemed to like it, for the time being that would be enough.

"All the tigers have been out

I don't care, I hear them howl

I let them tear right through me

Can you help me not to care?

Every breath becomes a prayer

Take this pain from me"

My time came to sing again, after my love had had her own turn. Even with the new style, the song was easy enough to follow, and the theme was something I honestly believed in. I'd always known humans to be special, even before my match was reborn as one, and while Asgard had seen them as less for so long Thor and Jane, together were slowly teaching them better. Soon enough Midgard would stand with the rest of the Realms, as an equal, soon enough (as long as we made sure the Mad Titan did not destroy it, destroy everything, in his insane quest to possess the Infinity Stones!).

"And though you're so far now

So far from my arms now"

We stood a good chance, much as some might not believe it. Humans might be short lived, and they might not be as strong, or fast as other races, but as I'd discovered in the time since I'd been visiting, they were resourceful, creative, persevering. They had a chance to prove their worth, to stand, to win, and the rest of us, gods and elves and dwarves… we'd make sure to make that chance count.

"To be human is to love

Even when it gets too much

I'm not ready to give up

To be human is to love

Even when it gets too much

I'm not ready to give up"

"To be human

To be human

To be human"

My Nightingale took charge of the song for a bit at the end of the second chorus, but as the next stanza came I did my best to back her up. It was important, the song was important, because it reflected us both (us all), who we were, the world (universe), how much we'd changed, and more than all that put together, what we were going to do about all that, about our future, our destinies…

"Just 'cause I predicted this

Doesn't make it any easier to live with

And what's the point of knowin' it

If you can't change it?

You can't change, can't change it

Just 'cause I predicted this

Doesn't make it any easier to live with

And what's the point of knowin' it

If you can't change it?

You can't change, can't change it"

As the song began winding down it became almost like a game of sorts, as my love and I took turns singing each a line or two, some alone, some together. We were being playful, and that was alright, it didn't mean we believed in what we were singing about any less, all the opposite in fact. Because deep down, beyond the color of our skins (and I could still hear an eleven-year-old girl telling me that she didn't mind what mine might be, she was just hoping for a heads up… though in the end it wasn't in my hands to give it) or our eyes, or even our abilities, at our cores we were all the same.

"To be human is to love

Even when it gets too much

I'm not ready to give up

To be human is to love

Even when it gets too much

There's no reason to give up"

"Don't give up

Don't give up"

For the longest time no one said a word, it was almost as if the universe itself were holding its breath, waiting for a reaction, anything at all. In the end it was Peter… no, not Peter, Star-Lord, the acknowledged leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy, who stepped forward and addressed us:

"If you'll have us, we'd like to join you."

 **xXx**

The Milano was more than a little worse for wear, though with some time, effort, and a little bit of magic we managed to salvage it enough to hook it to the Hekate, our own ship. It wasn't a perfect arrangement, but better than trying to fit all of us in either one. The moment everything was ready we made our excuses with Princess Daydra (not like she was expecting us to stay forever anyway) and took off.

When the plan was made, teaming up seemed like a good idea. My Nightingale and I weren't seen as Guardians, but that was alright with us. Then again, when that plan was made we hadn't been counting on an insane genetically-engineered golden-skinned genius male capable of wielding forces that were dangerously close to magic hunting us down. Technically he, Adam, had been created by one of the Sovereign and sent by her (Ayesha, they told us her name was) to hunt down the Guardians to 'punish' them for the batteries Rocket had stolen; which were used to destroy Ego when he tried to kill them all (and the better part of the universe). I thought she was just being petty and letting her anger at the fact that the Guardians managed to escape rule her. I was also quite sure she'd had no idea what she done when creating Adam; the being was too smart, and he was continuously growing, evolving, much like JARVIS. That was dangerous.

"We need to destroy Adam before he becomes too much for even us." I informed my love after our umpteenth skirmish with the being.

She nodded. She knew what I meant and how important it was. We were letting the Guardians take point for the time being, only making sure innocents didn't end up hurt, and helping with the fallout every time. Though I knew that if he ever so much as looked at my love funny I would intervene and do my best to put him down quickly. The problem? While I was reasonably sure I could do it if I were to face him in that moment, with his measure of growth there was no way of knowing how long it'd be before he became a real threat.

In the end, the choice was made for me. We were on a (thankfully) barren moon, all of us had started wearing life-suits, though eventually I lost mine. It wasn't that great a loss, I knew I could survive in the Abyss well enough, had done it before. Adam and a bunch of things that looked like droids were running circles around the Guardians. Mantis was down (her powers didn't work on droids, as they didn't have emotions, and there was something about the way Adam had been made that had hurt her when she tried it on him), Groot had taken a position over her, doing his best to protect her while Rocket kept jumping around them both, blasting whatever droids Groot couldn't see. The problem? That left Drax, Gamora, Peter, my Nightingale and I to deal with Adam and the rest of the droids on our own. It wasn't that bad, in that we were skilled enough to handle ourselves; though there were so many enemies that we didn't manage to actually defeat them all for good.

"We need to end this now!" Drax yelled what we were all thinking.

"If we don't he'll leave." Gamora said pretty much what I was thinking. "And if he does he'll only come back later, with more droids."

I couldn't really say it myself, since there was no air for my voice to be heard.

"You know, I don't think this is really about justice anymore, it's gone on too long, gotten too insane and..." Nightingale broke up halfway through her rant, only to screech a moment later: "PETER!"

I saw it happening, we all did, but we were too far away to be of any help. Several droids got too close to Peter, and as he evaded them, he ended getting too close to comfort to Adam, who took advantage of the opportunity to try again to kill Peter. Star-Lord managed to twist away just enough to avoid a lethal hit; what he hadn't considered was when the attack, instead of piercing his chest slashed at his clavicle; that was bad enough, the worst part however, was that it destroyed the energy pack of the life-suit. Nightingale screeched.

Gamora moved faster than any of us knew her to be capable of, throwing herself at the golden creature with a viciousness that revealed just how deeply she cared for the half-human. She ignored the droids completely, trusting Drax and I to have her back. In less than half a minute one of her blades was buried deeply in Adam's chest; a second later the second was used to relieve the being of his head entirely.

It all happened so fast, at the same time my Nightingale rushed to Peter's side, attempting different spells to restore the life-suit, encase him in some kind of bubble, or anything else. I knew when she even considered trying to teleport to the Hekate-Milano, but it wasn't really possible, as we'd given specific instructions to Kraglin to keep the ship a safe distance away until the battle was over; that distance was too much to cover with a simple jump (and shadow-walking wasn't an option when in an area where we didn't know the Paths).

I realized what my match was about to do a fraction of a second before she did it. I didn't even have time to panic about it. It all happened in two smooth moves: for the first she pulled the ruined life-suit off Peter, at the same time she deactivated her own; in the second she re-activated hers, on Peter.

In seconds we were all around them. Peter was waking up and was blinking slowly, as if trying to understand what was going on, Gamora was beside him, patting his form insistently, as if seeking to make sure he wouldn't drop dead on her (on us all). It was Drax who first noticed that my love had no life-suit.

"But you're going to die!" He cried out, completely shocked.

"Kraglin we need the ship here stat!" Rocket yelled into his comm.

+I'm alright.+ My love signed slowly. +Just… kind of getting used to not breathing.+

I was more than a little nervous, keeping a hand on her shoulder, ready to teleport the moment the Milano was in range, which was exactly what I did less than a minute later.

Everyone went straight to us the moment they boarded.

"Just what happened out there?" Rocket demanded. "Are you insane girl?!"

"Why did you do that?" Peter asked, more quietly.

My love and I both knew he must be remembering Yondu; after all, he'd done pretty much the same thing. Though my Nightingale still lived… neither of us wanted to imagine what it would have done to him, if she hadn't.

My match walked to him slowly, getting on her tip-toes in order to better reach his face, cupping it with both hands, so full of love.

"Oh Peter, how could I not?" She asked him, so very softly. "You're like another one of my children, young one. I care for you, very much. I will always do all I can to protect you. You're one of mine now, and you always will be."

He didn't say a word, he just embraced her tightly.

"You knew you would survive." Gamora stated more than ask.

"I was confident enough to try." Perhaps not the answer they would have wanted, but they all knew it would have to do.

And it was a reasonable belief. After all, we were a match.

"So… it's done then?" Kraglin asked, somewhat nervously.

While he was technically one of the team, he still wasn't much of a warrior, though he was slowly improving; might one day make a worthy Guardian.

"Adam's gone." Peter stated. "Though I still have no idea how we're supposed to make sure the Sovereigns don't just send another one after us."

"Perhaps we should take this matter to the Nova Corps?" My beloved suggested.

The Guardians stopped to ponder that one, eventually agreeing. I understood them not wanting to depend on the Corps, but the whole thing with the Sovereign had gone from ridiculous to downright worrying. The last thing we needed was, when we finally made our way back to Midgard, to end up bringing another enemy with us, Thanos was going to be bad enough.

"If you're all agreed I shall plot course to Xandar." I announced.

We were about to leave the common area when I couldn't help but hear something, like a punch, followed by Peter's voice:

"Wha…? What was that for?!"

Yes, Gamora had definitely hit him.

"Gamora! Wha…?"

The image that hit me from the corner of my eye revealed that the green-skinned former-assassin was doing a lot more than just hit him; so I didn't think Peter was likely to complain about her latter actions. It was a relief, though, I'd begun to fear the UST between them would kill us all!

My Nightingale just giggled like mad in the back of my head as she caught the thought.

 **xXx**

Things with the Sovereigns finally came to a head but a week later, and not quite in the manner I expected. we'd almost made it to Xandar when we were practically shot out of the sky. We didn't fall straight out, but the damage was bad enough that we all knew there was no way of regaining control of the ship, and that wasn't going to be a 'bumpy landing' it would be a straight out crash.

"We need to get out of here." I decided, extending my hand to my closest companion.

Gamora knew exactly what I meant, in seconds we were all touching as much as we could without falling. I gave thought to the emergency bags kept in the loading deck. With our 'line of work' we each kept one of those ready in case we ever needed to leave in a hurry; while our situation had more of a 'hurry' than any plans we'd made, there was just enough time for me to direct a tendril of my magic in that direction, at least we wouldn't be left with nothing but the clothes on our backs (and whatever Rocket, Gamora and Peter had stashed in their pockets, they'd proven to be quite resourceful).

"Nightingale!" I called out-loud, forgoing all facades and charades completely.

We were both going to need all our magic to make it work, there were so many of us… teleporting wouldn't have been our choice, but there were no choices left, it was that or giving up (or outright abandoning our friends, but that was never and would never be an option).

"The Main Plaza, got it!" She replied, picking up on the image flashing through my mind.

"Computer, Initiate Self-destruct, Authorization: Lindaew." I added almost as an after-thought.

"Authorization code accepted." The mechanical voice from the Hekate's computer replied. "Self-destruct initiated."

A countdown with ten seconds began, but before anyone had the chance to so much as open their mouths, we were out of there. We landed half-sprawled in the middle of the Main Plaza, in Xandar, still holding tightly onto each other, had just managed to get our breaths back, and some of us were beginning to straighten up, when an explosion announced the end of our combined ship.

"There goes all we had." Peter muttered angrily, before turning to me. "Don't take me wrong, I'm glad to be alive, but still. We've lost everything."

"Not quite everything." I answered, almost cheekily.

With a wave of my hand the mountain of emergency knapsacks dropped in between us. While they weren't exactly big, my Nightingale and I'd made sure to enlarge them magically on the inside, so they actually held more than most would expect.

"Great!" Peter exclaimed.

I wasn't surprised when his hands immediately went for the music device Yondu had gotten him (though it was Kraglin who gave it to him). That boy seemed to be more obsessed with music than my match, and she still carried the black jade dizi with her everywhere we went (the same one I'd given her when she was eleven; my very first gift to her in this life).

The Nova Corps were upon us less than a minute later, though thankfully they did not try to arrest us, though we were certainly asked to accompany them to see the Nova Prime.

We were met there by none other than Nebula. As we discovered in the following minutes, Ayesha (High Priestess of the Sovereign) had decided to go after the Guardians directly after Adam's failure and 'death'. She was the one to shoot us down, a favor which Nebula had returned, not quite expecting the quantity of explosives Ayesha had been carrying (enough to destroy half of Xandar). The Corps were redacting Nebula's pardon, and at the same time sending a missive to the Sovereign expressing their discontent with their late High Priestess's actions, and what would happen if they were to continue on their vendetta against the Guardians who, after saving the galaxy twice, were under the protection of the Empire.

Nebula clearly wasn't planning on staying long, until I intervened.

"Gamora's told me you're going after Thanos." I stated.

"What's it to you?" She hissed, not really turning back to face me.

"We have something in common." I pointed out as evenly as I could. "Thanos has caused us much hurt and grief, and we wish to have a hand in his destruction. I can help you get what you want."

"How?" She finally turned to face me. "You cannot know where he is, you and Gamora and her little Guardians would have done something already."

"I may not know where he is right now, but I know where he's headed." I explained to her. "We will be heading in that direction ourselves as soon as we leave Xandar."

The only reason we hadn't been on our way already was Adam, and with him gone… it was probably time to get going. Something occurred to me that somehow hadn't before: we hadn't seen neither hair nor hide of Thanos in all our time wandering through the stars. Nebula was the last one to have seen him, and that was about a year or so prior, before Ronan's attack on Xandar. What if Thanos had already left for Midgard? What if he made it there before we did?

*You know there's one way we might be able to find out for sure…* Nightingale's voice whispered in the back of my head.

Yes, there was, though I feared (as did my love) that the solution might end up being worse than the potential trouble.

 **xXx**

Despite my unexpected distraction, my words ended being enough to convince Nebula to stay, at least for the time being. Peter and Gamora had offered to go looking for a new ship, and we'd pooled our resources together and put them at their disposal; as we really needed the best ship we could possibly get. In the mean-time, my love and I met in the small acomodations the Nova Corps had graciously allowed us to make use of for our stay in the city. In between us was a piece of an old cloak, and inside its folds was the Crystal of Neahtid.

My match and I'd made a point of keeping that crystal as deep inside my pack as possible, out of sight (though sadly not out of mind), ever since the shocking visions my love had been subjected to when touching it. And to think we were actually considering using it…

"It might be the only way." She pointed out, doing her best to be reasonable. "It's not that I don't believe the children, and the Avengers to be strong but..."

"But if something happens to them you'll never forgive yourself." And neither would I.

"We undertook this journey to get information and help, if the danger arrives and we're not there..." She cut herself off, though I knew well what was running through her head. "Perhaps if we do it together… we're not Seers, but the gift is in us, if only passively; our mothers, and daughter..."

"You know this is risky. The visions could be too strong, we might get lost in them."

"We need to know, my Maverick."

There was really no need for her to say anything else, I knew she was right. Having made up our minds, a flick of my wrist pulled the cloth away, and after looking at each other one last time, we both extended our hands, placing them on the crystal at the same time. The visions hit us then:

 _Hakon, in military clothes, two stars on his shoulders, was shaking hands with a man in an air-force uniform with a single star… Helena in her violet and blue gown, stood beside her match as a crowd cheered for him… Rose in her X-Woman attire, signing at the bottom of a document, surrounded by many people, gifted and not… The Guardians facing a gold-skinned enemy, only for Peter to go flying backwards, injured…_

We didn't need anyone to tell us that was all in the past, both our part, and those concerning our children. For better or for worse, those things were done. Then came the chilling parts:

 _A wormhole opening among the stars, and a swarm, a veritable army, rushing into it, ready to attack whatever might be awaiting them on the other side… My love and I, staring at a small, so innocuous-looking blue jewel… Blades clashing, punches, explosions, and somewhere Daisy was crying out for people to brace themselves, a moment before everything began vibrating violently… A red-skinned humanoid being in a blue-gray bodysuit and a golden cape, twisting on the ground as a claw-like appendage scratched at his forehead, at the golden jewel shining there…_

The visions got stronger the more we held on. It was my match who noticed the crystal was pulling us in. Something we couldn't allow.

 _The Avengers, all the heroes were fighting; some of them spoke up, but it was hard to tell what they were saying exactly, with the battle itself holding our attention… And then came the view of Midgard, Earth, the place we'd called home for so long, and it was as if the planet as a whole were falling into shadow, being crushed under Thanos's power… We found ourselves lost inside the vision, unable to stop it, to change anything at all._

" _They need to know about this!" My love yelled. "Rose needs to know about this!"_

 _I felt the pull on my magic, though I didn't understand it, not until I remembered how I'd explained the Crystal of Neahtid to my match, how it held everything precogs ever saw. If we were bound to the crystal in that moment, and so was our daughter… But how to make sure she'd understand the gravity of things? Nightingale was calling out before I knew she'd made the choice:_

" _No dirweg Meril (Be watchful Rose)! Ohta naa deno' lle (War is upon you)."_

It felt as if something snapped beneath us, beneath our fingers, and at the same time deep inside. Like some kind of mystical thread had just been cut. The two of us let go of the crystal at the same time, even as our free hands reached for one another, seeking some kind of comfort after what we'd just seen. I only vaguely noticed something had changed on the crystal, there was a crack in it, impossible as it seemed. There was no time to focus on it though, too much to do.

"We need… we need to go back… we need to go now." Nightingale babbled.

I understood her sense of urgency, had felt it too, even if I'd no idea where it came from, if from the vision itself, the message we'd (hopefully) sent to Rose, or whatever had 'snapped' at the end.

"Lucia! Aria!" Peter's yelling voice caught us so much by surprise, we needed a few seconds to realize he was calling to us. "You need to come and see this!"

It was an instinctive reaction for us to simply teleport to his side. He was in the common room of the living quarters we were sharing (and we'd no idea when he and Gamora had returned, exactly).

"We had to cut our trip short, because of this." Gamora answered the unasked question.

Nightingale's gasp called my attention, first to her, and then on the very direction she was silently staring at; when I realized what it was had made her react like that, I couldn't stop dread from filling me. There, on the screen, was live news footage, of a wormhole somewhere (clearly it was nowhere close to Xandar, or I could have sensed it forming), and the swarm going straight into it…

"We need to get to Earth! We need to get to Earth now!" Nightingale was on the edge of becoming hysterical as she kept looking at the screen.

"How?" Peter wanted to know. "Even with the fastest, which, I might add, even all our resources pooled together could never hope to rent, much less buy, there's no way we can possibly get to another galaxy, and all the way to Terra, before those guys do!"

"There's one way." I didn't fully realize it when the words left my lips.

"What…?" It was clear no one had seen that one coming, not even my love.

It was something I'd purposefully kept myself from thinking about, knowing it was too delicate, too dangerous a thing to bring up unless it was absolutely necessary… and right then it was.

"We need to call on the Tesseract." I explained, looking straight at my match, willing her to understand who exactly would be doing the calling.

"The Tesseract is in Asgard." She reminded me somewhat unnecessarily.

"I know." I nodded grimly. "It can still be done. We can do it. What's more, we need to. Because the Tesseract is the only thing that will get us to Midgard ahead of Thanos."

"Hey… how dangerous is this plan of yours?" Rocket wanted to know.

"Not dangerous at all." Not to him, anyway, I knew my beloved would pick up on that and accept it. "What might prove to be dangerous is what I need the rest of you to do."

"And that is…?" Gamora questioned with obvious hesitance.

"We need to go soon, as soon as we summon the Tesseract; and when we do, we need to take the Orb with us." I announced.

The army was already crossing the wormhole, Thanos was supposed to be with them, and I knew it was quite possible that Thanos planned to claim the Stones on Midgard and the other Realms first, and then hunt down the Orb; but the possibility of him not being with the army and instead going after the Power Stone… while potentially good for Midgard (Thanos not being there gave them, us, more of a chance), that could be disastrous in the long run. Bottom line: it would be safer if we kept the Orb with us.

My love didn't give any of the Guardians the chance to rant, complain, or so much as open their mouths, she sent them off on their mission while we focused on our part. She knew that whatever was going to happen, it wouldn't be easy.

"You believe it can be done." She said more than asked.

"I believe we can do it." I clarified.

It was insane, because there was a reason for my belief, and she deserved to know it, but there just was no time to explain it.

"Easy Fintalëharyon..." She whispered, cradling her face in between my hands. "I trust you."

That would have to be enough… It Would Be Enough…

 **xXx**

When the Guardians returned, an hour later, they were ready, and so were we. The Nova Prime was with them, to wish us well ans offer apologies for not being able to send assistance, the Empire still hadn't recover after the loss of so many of its soldiers in the battle against Ronan. That was alright, it's not like we could have taken an army anyway. Only the fact that the Space Stone had accepted us entirely was going to allow us to travel with as many as were already.

"Ready?" My love asked as the Guardians formed a tight circle around us. "Brace yourselves."

She said nothing more, there was simply no way to prepare them for what was coming, for even we had no idea what it might be. So instead we just clasped our hands together and called on the power that, all along, had been meant for us. A heartbeat later we were off.

* * *

Battle is coming! Finally everyone seems to be on the same page, for the most part. Next week: the color is Red, and the narrator... that one will be a surprise!

See ya then!

P.S. Please don't forget to review.


	6. Red

So... time for the things I probably should have said in earlier notes and forgot all about. #1: Not sure if I actually said this in the story itself, but in this universe, Johannesburg never happened. That's one thing I cannot reconcile with Wanda being a good person, a hero. I understand wanting to avenge family, even going against the Avengers; but Johannesburg was about a lot more than that. Too many innocents died. Some might want to believe she didn't know things would go like that, I don't know. For my part, I believe that a good person, and, as is the case in this verse, someone who's dreamed about a person like Rose Alfdis her whole life, would have never done something like that. So no, the Hulk going nuts in Johannesburg never happened here.

#2: Rose's visions concern not only the current timeline and verse, most might have been able to deduce it. But some of her visions are also about the original MCU and at least two of my AUs (specifically: Midnight Songbird and Princess of Death).

#3: BLACK PANTHER IS AWESOME! Having said that, I wrote this before I watched it, obviously. So much doesn't really fit, and I'm not going to change it. Mainly because, while I think the pairing they gave T'Challa in the movie is awesome... I'd already built him a story with Kendra here. Also, as I pointed out in Midnight Songbird, when I played with Wakanda in my head, I followed more the comics, which is why I made a certain person into a crazy villain, why the Dora Milaje are more bodyguards than an army, why vibranium isn't use quite that much, Shuri is older, etc. Most isn't that important, I just thought necessary to point it out.

No song for this one. Dreamcast (not in order of appearance): Emily Browning as Nightingale, Georgie Henley as Rose Alfdis, Katie McGrath as Helena, Skandar Keynes as Hakon, Jessica Chastain as Willow Anya, Josh Hartnett as Johann, Margot Robbie as Lorna/Polaris, Taraneh Alidoosti as Kendra Hall, Rosamund Pike as Harry Watson, Jensen Ackles as Esteban Burke, Kristen Stewart (as she is in Snow White and the Huntsman) as Leah. If I missed anyone you'd like to better know what I imagine they look like, let me know and I'll add them.

Finally, the narrator for this piece: I blame my mother. She was binging on Desperate Housewives on Netflix while I was writing this. And if you know/remember who exactly narrates most of that show... Also, I was originally going to make it 3rd person, but wanted it to be more personal, without having to jump POVs every other paragraph. So... this came out, hope you like it.

* * *

 **Red (Willow Anya)**

Power, passion, desire, love, danger, those are the forces that move the world…

There's a lot mortals, regardless of species, do not understand when they're alive. Things like death, the Other Side, reincarnation, eternity, are beyond them. Some may believe this is because such concepts are too complex for beings so small, others that they're things they don't need to concern themselves with; Me? I long since decided there's no point in wondering, things are what they are, the past cannot be changed, and regardless what some people (like my sister) might believe, the future isn't written in stone; what we all must focus on is the present.

When I was alive, I had a good life; since dying… one might not be able to call it life, but it was still good. And perhaps that's all that really matters in the end. There are many who, after dying, decide to leave everything from that life behind, whether they move onto a new one, cross-over to the Other Side, or even stay wandering through the mists of Helheim (Johann and I saw it as a sort of limbo, though neither of us had believed in such a plane of existence while alive); one of the first things they leave is their name. I didn't do that, even if it meant nothing to anyone but me and my love, inside I was still Willow Anya, and I'd always be.

I had an interesting life. I know many people say that, but mine really was something else. Born Anya Eisenhardt to Polish Jew Erik Lehnsherr and Romani Magda Maximoff, my parents managed to survive the hell that was Auschwitz. They changed their names to Max and Magda Eisenhardt, married and moved around, before eventually settling on Ukraine, where I was born. We had a nice life; it might not have been perfect, but it was good enough for me. Everything changed when I was five years old. I didn't know it at the time, But things hadn't been good with dadro (papa) and his job. That things things went really bad, drado lost control of his gift. He's gifted, a mutant, with the ability to control magnetism. I used to call it his magic trick… Something went really, really badly. I don't know what, or why, no one ever explained it me. One moment I was listening to my parents outside the old hostel where we lived, then there was smoke, and fire and… a girl. With red-brown hair falling down her back, and shifting eyes that seemed to be reflecting the fire around us. The moment she touched me, it was like the fire no longer could. She had magic of her own, and she lent it to me. I survived that day because of her.

Mama and Papa were waiting outside. They took us away. We didn't know at the time that doing so would mean I wouldn't see my family again for many years, that dai (mama) and I would never be a family again… even then, I do not regret it. How can I when I love mama, papa, Rose and Hakon so much? Becoming Anya Willow Stark-Serrure, daughter of Arianna and Luke, younger sister of Hakon and 'twin sister' of Rose Alfdis wasn't easy, but still, it was nothing short of a wonderful life. I grew up with a wonderful family, had amazing friends, eventually I chose to follow my sister and join a group that would save the world, and more than once too! I also got the chance to see my birth family again, to be drado's Anya again; even discovered I had younger siblings! (A brother and a sister, twins; and a little half-sister).

Of course, things gained a new layer of complexity when I eventually understood that my parents were actually Loki, Norse God of Mischief and Lies (and, some argue, magic) and his Nightingale, Goddess of Compassion and Devotion. My own sister, Rose Alfdis, was named Goddess of Chaos and Faith. I myself am no goddess, never was, never will be, but that's alright. I'm happy being who I am, who I was, that's well enough for me.

Being the only baseline human in a family of gifted wasn't exactly easy, but I made it work for me. Dadro had been through so much, being a mutant, he could get paranoid, and even vicious, I took it upon myself to remind him that not all humans were evil, starting with me. I like to believe I helped make him a better man… Charles (Papa Charles!) certainly believes it.

Johann is… I couldn't say perfect because I know, objectively, that no man truly is. He's everything I could have ever dreamed of, and many things I couldn't begin to imagine. He was a military man, friend of my brother's. Like me, a human with gifted in his family; in his case, his little sister Vera. We had a relatively short time together, while alive at least, but what time we had, we spent it happy. He gave me two beautiful children: Django and Nina.

Throughout my life, death was never too far away. First living in poverty, then the fire, while as we grew up we lived relatively quiet lives, mama was still the little half-sister of Howard Stark, his heiress until his own son was born. Rose and I were never ignorant of the kind of risks that came with being a Stark. Then there was Hakon joining the army (and while that risk may not have been on my own head, he's my brother, and I will always love him). Then Rosie had a vision, and she decided to go help Charles… and of course, I went with her. Technically I was never an X-Woman, not for my lack of gifts, it just wasn't something I was interested in; still, when they needed my help, I was never one to back away. Though my only real 'mission' with them was the one during which we rescued Erik Lehnsherr from a military transport (weeks after discovering, through Rose, that he was, in fact, my birth-father; and days before he himself found out about me, that I was alive and not dead as he'd believed me to be for over a decade).

I died in late summer of 1984, months after my thirtieth birthday, of the very thing that would have killed me when I was five years old. There was no fire, no, but as we discovered, my lungs never fully recovered from that one. I died shortly after my youngest, Nina, turned one, and only the belief that my family (Django, my sister, Dadro, Papa Charles, and everyone else in the Institute) would look after her, and after my little Django, allowed me to pass away in peace. Mama sang me to sleep once by one and, surrounded by everyone I loved, I closed my eyes for the last time.

Helena was waiting for me when I opened my eyes and found myself surrounded by mists. She just stood there, smiling, she knew exactly who I was, and while we'd never met, she loved me. I've actually wondered, more than once, about my chances (any girl's chances) of surviving damage in her lungs, only for it to kill her twenty-five years later; it's not impossible and yet… well, the Queen of the Dead is my adopted-sister, that's more than enough reason to make me wonder. Still, it's the kind of question I'll never ask out-loud. I'll just be grateful for the time I had, for all those that loved me, that still love me.

It's why I chose to watch over them. From the moment Johann and I met in Helheim, we decided we weren't ready to move on. We hadn't even decided if we'd rather be at peace on the Other Side, or live again, all we knew was that we weren't ready for either, not while those we loved still live. So instead we chose to find one of the viewing pools in Helheim and took to watching over them as much we could from there. There was a lot people for us to watch over: Django, Nina, Vera, Rose, Dadro, Papa Charles, Peter, Wendy, Mama, Papa, Hakon, Aunt Raven, Aunt Irene; and the list just kept growing, as more names were added: Django's wife Marya, their children: Pietro and Wanda, Vera's daughter Ivy, Rosie's adopted girl Skye, Papa's brother Thor, the Avengers, and so many others.

We lost some, of course. When Peter and Wendy were killed I was numb. I cried for them, and for Rose, for not being able to be there. When she cut herself from the rest of the world… I wished I could be alive again, be there for her. Still, having the chance to see the two of them, even if it was for a relatively short time, it helped. And then they were gone, back to the world of the living: Pietro and Wanda Maximoff. When Django and Marya died I cried so hard… all Johann could do was hold me. We got the chance to see them to, but not for long, Django was tired of fighting, of life, and all Marya wanted was peace, they chose to cross-over to the Other Side.

With souls moving through frequently, most never staying long, and especially the two of us staying by one of the viewing pools constantly, Johann and I didn't exactly have a social life. We somehow managed to make a friend anyway. His name was Edward, or at least that was the name he claimed as his. He was one of the Innocents, though dead too young, or simply never born, who had too much life in them to be able to cross-over. Helena loved them so much she wouldn't allow them to go to just anyone, also, souls like theirs, with bright-new sparks didn't fit with just anyone. Edward himself hadn't been born, though he said he knew that was the name his parents had chosen for him, which was why he used it. He didn't truly remember his parents (it's hard to hold onto memories in Helheim; it's supposed to be something to help us for when we moved on; but there were some of us that chose to hold onto them, and we were in our right), but he held onto the name, and onto the belief that they'd loved him, even if he never really had the chance to join them.

So Edward was our friend. He'd go see us by the viewing pool every so often. He liked it, especially when we were looking in on the Avengers, he thought Iron Man was totally awesome, and he just loved all his robots. It was nice, seeing him so full of joy, it reminded us of what Django had been like as a child. And then Edward left… things had been insane on Earth, and Helena dropped by to talk to him, we didn't know what she told him exactly, but he only dropped by one last time, to tell us goodbye… apparently his chance to live had finally come.

Another concept mortals don't fully comprehend is time, or the way it can be so very relative. It wasn't that time didn't pass in Helheim, because it did, the exact same way it did in every other realm, but we were no longer growing, or aging, and thus we didn't feel it pass the same way. It did not mean the same to us as it did to many others. Just like time meant less to those who measure their lifetimes in millennia rather than in decades. Time meant even less for us than it did to the longest lived races… which might explain why we didn't fully realize just how much things were changing, until a black hole opened up on the sky and actual aliens began pouring out!

Being who I was, with my family, the friends I'd had in life, I knew there was life in places other than Earth. Knew about the 9 Realms, and that there were other worlds beyond those; I still could have never imagined what happened that day. It was terrifying and breathtaking at the same time. It wasn't easy to see Mama and Papa, and understand that they weren't the parents I knew, that they were in fact younger, not yet as mature as the people I loved and who transformed my life almost as much as my dear sister.

After that things got quite hectic on Earth. When Mama died… it hurt, not being able to go to her, to embrace her, to find and give comfort. But she wasn't my Mama yet, she wouldn't have known me, so I did as Helena asked and stayed away. As for Papa's own suffering, knowing their future as I did allowed me not to hurt for him. When Rose and Pietro first met, in the middle of a terrible battle, I couldn't help but cry; I knew it wouldn't be easy, but they would be together again, as it was meant to be. My sister would be finally be happy, and that filled me with so much joy… And then Wanda, my granddaughter, my little sister, found her own love, and I was so happy for her. Everything was absolutely perfect in that moment.

 **xXx**

The day began with Rosie waking up rather abruptly. We'd no idea what she might have seen in her dreams, but her waking up drenched in sweat and tears, calling what I knew to be the elven word for mother and only staying on the bed because Pietro was holding her rather tightly, was quite enough for me to know it couldn't be anything good. Then came the call, from Helena, to inform her that some rogue witch called Tamara Walker had just escaped confinement. I'd no idea why she'd been imprisoned, hadn't been watching when whatever it was, happened.

There was magic on the viewing pools of Helheim allowing those of us using them to track those we were connected to: friends, family, loved ones. Most of the time we tracked direct family (like Nina, Rosie, Vera, Ivy, and sometimes the twins); since we had no connection with this Tamara, had never so much as met her, we couldn't have hoped to find her. So instead we focused on Rosie. With her gifts and her post as one of the planet's guardians, if anything happened she was likely to be one of the first to find out, and to be involved.

There were calls made, and visits (with Pietro dutifully getting Rose anywhere she needed to go), check ins with allies and even with governments and military liaisons, even the UN. And then… nothing. For almost three days, nothing at all happened. At least, nothing except Rose consistently waking up almost screaming, her visions pushing her to the edge. She knew what was coming, yet apparently had no idea of the when.

Then, near the end of the third day (on her part of the world at least), a huge black hole opened somewhere between the Earth and the moon, and… things began pouring out.

Things became quite hectic and more than a little insane, very quickly. Precogs and magic-wielders across the planet either woke up or simply left whatever they were doing the moment the portal began opening, all of them able to sense it happening. In China, where Daisy was going through her monthly check-up on her people, she froze, there was a wrongness in the vibrations that told her there was danger coming their way.

At some point Leah, the eldest of the Innocents, girl-child on the cusp of womanhood, who'd chosen to be one of the Queen's handmaidens rather than hope for a chance to live again, went to us; telling us Helena had asked us to look over things from the palace. There a room had been prepared, with Mirrors rather than viewing pools, and each was focused on a place where something was happening… and there were many of those: China, New York, Egypt, Wakanda, London, Mexico, Los Andes, Eastern Europe, somewhere in the middle of the Continental US, the North Atlantic, and close to half a dozen more. We had no idea if the attackers, the aliens, were looking for something (or someone), or the fact that there were people, whole teams of gifted and human alike, fighting back in those spots, was what made their numbers concentrate there.

Those of us in that room got to witness some shocking, terrifying and amazing moments. Like when a huge creature/thing (like a mix between a giant robot and a living being) landed somewhere north of Manhattan, only for Magneto, Polaris and Rogue to team up, with their magnetic abilities to hold it in place, a moment before Phoenix made her own arrival and unleashed her whole power on the thing/creature, tearing it apart, down to its very atoms. Many would have seen that and only thought it a terrifying display of power, I could see the way the woman shook and trembled, fighting not only against an enemy, but to rein in her own powers; I was also quite sure she'd have failed if it weren't for Cyclops, standing behind her, hands on the sides of her neck, grounding her. A match working together, like they were meant to.

"This is too much!" Phoenix/Jean called out at one point, barely managing to keep her fear in check. "Too much power, I'm gonna lose control."

"No you won't." Cyclops denied, placing a single kiss on the back of his wife's neck. "I believe in you Jean. We all do. We know you can do this. Remember what Rose said that day, all those years ago? You're the most powerful mutant in the world. Not only because of your power itself, but because of your heart. You can do this."

A mental brush showed Rogue's and the Professor's agreement. They were all with her. Her people… her family. She'd not fail them.

In China the Inhumans were doing great against the army, until another such being landed. It killed two and would have done the same to more if one of the Secret Warriors, Yo-Yo, hadn't managed to get them out of the way in the last moment, before their Queen completely lost it.

"Everyone!" Grant yelled at the top of his lungs, sensing what was coming. "Brace yourselves!"

The warning came just in time, as a moment later the ground beneath their feet seemed to rumble; though that was nothing compared to what happened when that power hit the 'robot', it began shaking, harder and harder, until it fell apart, some pieces even breaking into smaller ones before ever hitting the ground.

In some city in Eastern Europe, Aiden and the rest of the few human members of the 'pack' made sure to keep guard on every entrance to the local hospital, a church and school (all which were serving as refuges), while dozens of wolves went on the hunt, taking down aliens as fast as they could with their strong claws and jaws, lead with a beautiful white she-wolf.

"Aiden?" A nurse approached the man, purposefully not looking out, to where a light-gray wolf with blood staining his pelt was passing by. "Are you sure its safe?"

"The wolves will not hurt humans." Aiden assured her. "They're here to protect us."

"Are you sure?" The woman insisted.

Aiden just smiled, repeating to himself that it was not the other woman's fault for not understanding. Not anyone could be like him, a human mated to a loup-garou. He knew them, trusted them, they were all family, in one way or another. He and the others like him were used to dealing with those around them being wolves, seeing them as fragile, used to dealing with them being much more than human… what was new was having to deal with the other side of it, humans seeing the wolves and being afraid of them. Then again, since first meeting and falling in love with Vivian, Aiden's life had been about her, their daughter, and later on the pack. He hadn't lead much of a human life for a very long time, wasn't sure he'd know how to do it anymore.

"I know." He said simply, eventually.

In the distance he could hear Vivian howling (he knew her voice in either form), it was a howl of victory. They'd won.

In Wakanda, warriors of every tribe were fighting together for the first time in centuries. And it wasn't just the Dora Milaje. In that moment their differences didn't matter, they were all Wakanda. They all followed the Black Panther, who himself had a protector, a woman with golden hawk-like wings, aiding them from above.

"For the Panther God!" The Black Panther, Crown-Prince T'Challa called at one point.

"For Wakanda!" His sister, Princess Shuri, added for good measure.

Their people quickly took on their cries, and the fight went on.

In Mexico, girls in everyday clothes, with rebozos covering their heads, knelt in gardens, parks, anywhere they could touch earth, and it answered to them, as trees and ivy and all sorts of plants grew and twisted around the aliens, restraining them, allowing for a group of men (each girl had a companion) holding daggers made entirely of black or green stone (obsidian and jade) to use their weapons to bring down the attackers.

In London, the streets seemed to have become a scene from a spy movie, with Agents wielding guns and shooting down the aliens where they stood. The Holmes (including those married into the family) leading the response to the alien attack; while Harry Watson held the fort inside her office, coordinating rescue and relief efforts with help from a group of volunteers.

In Metropolis, Kansas, Superman flew around, stopping any and all enemies in his way. Wonder Woman, who'd decided to join the team shortly before the Accords, was doing the same; her husband was with her, as were Mental and Stargirl. Flicker, Cyborg and Flash were doing their best to get the civilians away from danger, while Cyan and Doc healed all they could.

"You all holding up okay?" Lex's voice asked into their comms. "Any need for their big guns?"

The 'big guns' meant some 'mad scientist' inventions he'd made at some point; most of which were quite dangerous and the whole Justice League would have found to be a very bad idea in anyone's hands but Lex's and Trish's. Kal still refused, as long as he believed they could handle it, he would not put his friends in such risk (because of course, someone would need to use the guns, and that was just too dangerous. They were doing pretty well though, to the point where he'd told Supergirl and Superboy to go help with the situation in the West Coast.

"We just got temporary authorization from the government to use the Solomon serum on those being injured during the battle." Trish announced right then.

That was a relief, being able to believe that even those they couldn't get to in time to protect completely would have a chance.

In the West Coast Supergirl and Superboy couldn't help but notice the woman in the black bodysuit with a mask, using sonic waves to either down or at least stun the aliens; something that was well complimented by then man in green shooting arrows with an accuracy that they'd seen few times outside of Hawkeye of the Avengers.

In Gotham Batman worked together with his own people: Batgirl, Robin and Catwoman (the last who was, in fact, his own wife, Selina). There were well-used to working together, and there were so many nasties in Gotham that practically every civilian knew what to do, and what not to do to stay safe while the heroes handled matters. Even the police was used to helping where they could, and staying out of the way for the rest. It was a good setup.

In Egypt everyone was whispering, about the individuals flying across the city, keeping them safe. Wakanda had sent troops, and even half a dozen Dora Milaje to aid them, but the attention of most was on the flying gifted ones. Those old, scholarly, or simply curious enough to know the old legends soon began whispering about an old King and Queen, brought forth from ancient times to protect them (and if a green-skinned man was helping them, all the better).

In the North Atlantic the Atlanteans, lead by their King: Arthur (known better by some as Aquaman) lead his own army against what aliens dared attack their territory.

Somewhere in Russia, Colossus, being the one familiar with the country, lead his own team of X-Men in a fight to keep the people who'd seen him born and eventually sent him off to the Institute with their best wishes. They knew him, they accepted him; he'd gone to Xavier precisely to learn how to use his gift so one day he might be able to use them for the good of his people. That day, he was finally doing exactly that.

In South-America Rose was fighting against paranoia, bad memories and a deep desire to take her beloved and go hide in a deep hole somewhere. Being in the Andes, with explosions all around, with her match right there… it wasn't helping her nerves any. The last time Quicksilver was in South America he'd ended dead!

"Ves'tacha (beloved)" Pietro's voice right beside her, pronouncing that Romani endearment, his chosen term for her, was enough to bring Rose back to the present.

"Neshama (soul)." She replied automatically in an exhale, the Hebrew word her own choice, for that's exactly what he was for her, her very soul… "Lets do this."

They'd been the only gifted sent to South America, with a team from the UN Task Force. That was alright, they were enough. Quicksilver had made sure to prepare the area for her, then it was only a matter of waiting for the enemy to walk straight into the trap, the agents making sure there would be no stragglers. Then, the moment the signal was given, all Rose had to do was start the fire…

In Australia, the Avengers worked like a well-oiled machine. With the senior X-Men, the JLA and a few more individuals taking care of the US, they'd decided to head to a place where they might not have so many people ready to fight. Then again, most of Australia did not have many people, at all. The fight was more insane than the first Chitauri invasion had been, but like the second, they had an open, empty desert all around them for the most part, which allowed the more destructive members of their team (Iron-Man, War-Machine, Hulk and Ant-Man, when he decided to go giant instead) to let loose more than they would have inside a city. Those four, along with Wasp, Vision and Scarlet Witch were the ones in the desert; while Captain America, Agent 13, Winter Soldier, the Valkyrie, Falcon, Hawkeye and Black Widow handled the second front in Queensland.

FRIDAY, who was monitoring the other battles, while JARVIS actively assisted Iron Man in the suit, informed them when most began achieving victory. The moment more than half of the battles had been won several of them let out cries of joy. And that's when the mistake was made, the one thing a warrior must never do… they got distracted.

No one knew for sure where the things came from, exactly. They bigger than the other aliens they'd been fighting, looking like some giant insectoids, with pincer-like or claw-like appendages. Wanda noticed the first one, crying out a warning even as she sent a rush of chaos magic at it, tearing it apart. She managed, but focusing on one (because she needed her whole concentrate just for the one) cost her, as the second hit her on the side, sending her flying.

"Wanda!" Vision yelled, terrified for her.

Iron-Man had managed to change his course to take out another of the things, just in time; but he was just too far to do anything about the last one. The moment Vision was distracted with Wanda's welfare, it struck. Vision was slammed to the ground, hard enough for the dry sand to crack underneath him, the moment the claw first grazed the yellow gem on his forehead he began twisting, trying with all his strength to get the thing off him, to fight back, to escape… it was useless, he was well pinned-down. The others couldn't even attack the thing for fear of hurting Vision instead. Then the thing pressed on his forehead, attempting to tear off the gem… Vision screamed.

On the background, Wanda forced herself to turn in their direction. She was badly hurt couldn't even stand, couldn't call on enough of her power to do anything, all she could do was call to Vision, trying to push him to succeed, but nothing worked. The moment Vision screamed, so did she.

Back in Los Andes, Rose observed silently as the night was illuminated by the fire still burning. There was nothing left of their enemies but ash. She'd still let the fires burn for a little while longer, just to be sure nothing was left. No one worried anyway, they knew she had it under control. Meanwhile, through a comm, FRIDAY updated her on the status everywhere else. Almost all battles had been won already… all but the one in Australia.

Abruptly, Rose flinched violently, as if an electric current had just shot through her. Even before FRIDAY said a word, she knew something had just gone horribly, horribly wrong. And not just that. She knew exactly what had just happened… what she'd been seeing time and again since her visions of the current disaster had begun. Vision, the Mind Gem…

"FRIDAY put me through to the magical leaders!" Rose yelled into her comm.

The fires grew higher, stronger, brighter, for just a fraction of a second, as the Goddess of Chaos briefly lost it; only to be snuffed entirely as she gripped control tightly once again. The moment FRIDAY connected her she was yelling once again.

"Do it now!" She yelled. "Now, Now, Now! Before it's too late!"

She suspected it might already be, but she wouldn't just lay down and surrender. They weren't giving up, not just yet.

The 'It' was a shield. A magical shield spanning the entire planet. Based on the invisible protection the Sanctums kept over the world, keeping it safe from Dormammu and the Dark Dimension. Only, this one was stronger, meant to keep actual, visible, physical enemies out; though it needed any and every magical to work together and could only be held in place for an hour or so at a time. Any longer and they ran the risk of draining some of their members.

The shield wasn't absolute though, it couldn't be, there was a whole, like the blind-spot in a person. Except it wasn't completely blind, for they knew exactly where it was. The gifted who hadn't been tired by the fight would be heading there, that was the plan. There they would handle the second (and hopefully last) part of the battle. And they needed to win, they needed to win that… because, Rose feared, they'd already lost something else.

 **xXx**

I gasped loudly, pulling my hands back from the quasi-wall of magical mirrors. From all the things I might have been expecting to happen, I never imagined one like that. The magic in those mirrors… because there was clearly something in them, the way I'd felt as if I were in those battles, been able to pick up on things I shouldn't have, I had no connection to most of those involved in the battles, and yet I'd still seen, still known. And it wasn't only the quantity of information, but the fact that I was able to pick up on it all, despite the fact that every single battle had been happening at almost the exact same time!

"Will?" My love asked, worried.

"She's alright, just..." Leah broke off, as if choosing her words carefully. "I don't think she was expecting what just happened. I wasn't either."

"What just happened?" My husband demanded.

"The mirrors recognized her as kin to my Queen, thus allowing her to use them much as she would, were she here." Leah explained. "That means she wasn't just seeing the images on the screens, she became a part of them, of everything, understood what was going on, on every level, to a point where neither of us can. Don't worry, she wasn't hurt, it just took her by surprise. You two aren't human anymore, don't have their limits. She can handle it. She's the Queen's little sister..."

Yes, I might not have comprehended that part before, while I acknowledged my family as a whole, Helena had never really been a part of my life, and even in death, she just had too much to do. So I'd never stopped to consider the implications of being basically the younger sister to the Queen of the Dead… as shocked as I still felt by what I'd just been through, I knew it wasn't over yet. I needed to know what happened next. Was Vision alright? And what about Wanda? And Rosie? How where they going to handle a second battle so close to the first one when they were all so exhausted already. But if they didn't, the Earth would be lost.

"I'm alright schatz." I whispered, stealing one of dadro's favored endearments. "I need to do this."

"I know." He didn't question it, didn't try to stop me, he knew me all to well. "Everything will be alright Will, you'll see."

"I know. I have faith..." And I did, I had to.

So, with that in mind, I turned back to the wall of mirrors and after one more deep breath I placed my hands on the surface of the one showing an open desert somewhere in the Southern part of the United States, and let the magic of the Mirrors pull me in again.

Rose half-tripped as Pietro put her down.

"Ves'tacha!" Quicksilver cried out, winding his arms around her again.

It was so odd for her to get dizzy over a 'little run' but the visions had truly been taking their toll on her, he knew.

Heroes began gathering around her, all who could make the trip in the limited amount of time they had. Some had actually requested assistance from others. The Avengers were the last to arrive and, aside from War-Machine, who'd taken a bad hit and couldn't quite fly right anymore, Wanda, who was still hurt and practically hysterical beside the immobile Vision, they were perhaps the ones less worn out. Both because the super-human half of the team had made sure to do most of the battle to make sure their not-so-super companions would be alright, and because the attack on Australia itself hadn't been quite so bad as some of the others, like those in NY, or China…

The last of which explained why Quake was pretty much swaying on her feet, might have even fallen if it weren't for her husband holding her up. She was in no condition to so much as call on her powers again, but refused to stand down.

"We cannot keep reacting, keep waiting for the attack to come so we might respond. It's time we act first." Steve Rogers called strongly. "It's time we take matters into our own hands."

"And how do you plan to do that, punk?" His best friend, brother, James, asked with a brow arched. "If you've forgotten, they're all the way up there, we're down here. So unless who have a nifty little space-ship stashed somewhere, I don't see how we could possibly take the battle to them."

"We were expecting an attack soon, but not like this, not to this degree." Sharon stated grimly. "We thought we had more time before an actual invasion happened..."

"It's the chaos portal." Tony offered. "Talked about it with Un… Reindeer Games and his Songbird. This was always a risk when it came to the Destroyer of Worlds, but according to our calculations the chances of one of those things actually appearing on our sky and staying open long enough for something like this…"

I could see the moment Rose got it.

"Damn you Walker!" She cursed the most-likely-already-dead witch under her breath.

"If we keep waiting… there might not be an Earth left by the time we act." Sif stated grimly.

She didn't see what the point was in talking about all the reasons why things shouldn't have happened. They had, and they couldn't change that. All that was left was to deal with it.

"They're coming." Several of those present announced at the same time.

Something seemed to be flickering in the sky. The shield. It was taking every drop of energy for the magic users to keep it up, they wouldn't be able to hold on for long. They were running out of options, and unless some kind of miracle took place, they were going to lose. Earth was going to be lost to the Mad Titan…

"You know, I once told Loki that if we couldn't protect the Earth we'd damn sure avenge it." Iron-Man commented, almost conversationally. "Seemed like the thing to say at the time. Now I realize how stupid it was. Avenging is pointless, we need to protect."

"Yes, we do." Rose agreed, pushing away from her love after one more kiss and bracing herself.

The few who knew her best could tell what was coming when they got a glimpse of her red-orange-black eyes a fraction of a second before she turned her eyes towards the sky, hands raised.

"Everyone get down!" Voices yelled across the desert.

The swarm was coming once again, and less than two minutes before they might have reached him, it was as if something had exploded. Fire circled the Rose of Chaos once, twice, three times very quickly, before pulling into her hands, growing brighter and changing colors until it became perfectly white, then it shot from her, a column of white fire going straight for the enemy.

Pietro could tell the moment when Rose faltered, he thanked the stars for the fact that they were a proven match and then, totally ignoring the gasps and wordless exclamations, he ignored the fire completely and went to his love, embracing from behind, holding her up.

"I have faith in you Ves'tacha..." He whispered straight into her ear.

Rose smiled, closed her eyes, and let go.

It was a hell of an attack. With the Justice League (especially the kyptonians) and whoever else was still standing, handling the stragglers. They finished the second wave of the attackers right as Rose ran out of energy entirely, dropping unconscious into her soul's arms.

While the rest were more than a little exhausted, even the kryptonians, with it still being night on that side of the planet, they had no way to recharge. Nervousness was growing, as those of them with the most acute senses could tell the enemy was preparing a third wave. A sense of hopelessness began taking over some of those present. The shield was flickering even more, the defenses were about to fall, and the strongest fighters had nothing more left to give. It looked like the battle had been lost already.

And then the miracle happened.

It began with a blue flicker in the middle of the desert, not too far where the Maximoff twins were holding onto their beloveds; refusing to move from their side regardless of the danger. The light blinked several times before becoming constant, a glow that grew steadily brighter, and then bigger, taking the form of a not-quite-there jewel, suspended in mid-air. Then, figures began taking shape around it: two forms clasping hands around the blue light; and a circle of eight individuals of various forms and sizes. The blue light grew exponentially bigger, brighter, sharper abruptly, covering them all, making them invisible to the naked eye, and then it blinked out, revealing the forms: a human-looking man in a tanned-leather jacket, a green-skinned woman dressed in black, a red-skinned heavily-scarred, very muscled male, a talking raccoon (?!), a tree that moved (I briefly thought back to the Lord of the Rings, wondering…), a blue-skinned female with what looked like implants, another human-looking guy in leather with spiky hair, and a delicate-looking pink-skinned female with big eyes and what looked like antlers on her head. The most shocking part for some though, was the fact that in the center of the group stood none other than Loki and Nightingale.

"What the hell man?!" Hawkeye demanded.

He wasn't fighting anymore, the fingers of his dominant hand bleeding after firing so many arrows in quick succession. He was of no help anymore, but refused to hide away, so he and his lover stood with their friends, waiting for whatever might come. The guns in their hand might not do much, but if they were to go down, they'd go down fighting.

"We need to close that portal." Loki stated.

"Thanos is on the other side." The green and blue women (Gamora and Nebula) stated in unison.

"Death follows it like a shadow..." No one knew if the pink skinned female (Mantis) was talking about Thanos, or the portal, still, both applied.

"No more death." The scarred alien (Drax) growled, getting ready for the fight.

The ones that surrounded Loki and Nightingale seemed to take the sorcerer's earlier words as some sort of order, for they were quickly on the move. They already had flight-packs on, a moment later they were all airborne, weapons ready. Except for Groot, but he did well enough from the ground.

"Just what the hell is going on here?" Tony demanded.

"Those are the Guardians of the Galaxy, you know us already. We're here to help." Loki stated, succinctly, before using a pack of his own to join the others.

"You've all fought so hard already." Nightingale stated, more softly. "You've done an amazing job. We're sorry we're so late. Let us help, let us finish this."

"Can you do it?" Pepper wanted to know.

She was in the Rescue armor, having insisted on joining the rest when it became obvious that the first wave wasn't all there was to the attack.

Really, the only Avenger missing in that moment was Thor, and Nightingale and Loki both got the feeling there was a very good reason for that.

"That's what we're here for." Nightingale insisted.

She didn't join the others in the air. Much as she might behave like a warrior for the most part, she was still a healer, first and foremost. She set onto that.

Most of those presents had the opportunity to watch the battle as it took place above their heads. The magical shield had finally flickered out, but even then, the army wasn't managing to get any closer to land. It was obvious the Guardians (or most of them) had experience working together for they complimented each other's styles well enough. Blades, energy weapons, bombs, and what looked like a sound-guided arrow were their weapons of choice. And then there was Groot, on the ground, keeping an eye, and a few branches on the stragglers, making sure the humans wouldn't be hurt.

It all came to an end somewhat abruptly when Loki shot a blue light from the palm of his left hand towards the chaos portal, making it collapse upon itself.

They all waited for almost a full minute still on the air, dealing with the few that hadn't been sucked into the black-hole before it vanished, and waiting in case something went wrong and it opened again. Loki stated it was impossible, but they were still ready, just in case.

Eventually one minute passed, two, then three. They all landed. The moment the last pair of feet touched the ground the celebration began. They had won! Somehow, against all odds, against hope, they had won. Earth was saved… again.

The celebration was short in starting. There were many injured, a good deal of them either half or completely unconscious, and the relief was only ridding them of adrenaline all the faster. There was a female cry though that called everyone's attention really fast:

"Viz!" That was Wanda.

Wanda was crying and laughing, both at the same time. And it was that somehow, incredibly, miraculously, Vision was awake, in her arms.

Rose's tired eyes opened then. She had no energy to create so much as a spark, but that was alright. They'd won… she'd no idea how, but they had, they were alright, the Earth was safe… her eyes met the hazel ones of her Mama across some distance, to where she was being held by Papa, she had no energy to heal any more, but that was ok too, she'd done enough. They'd all done enough.

Rose smiled, laughter almost spilling from her lips. She could still hear Wanda's mix of cries and laughter, breaking off when Vision suddenly kissed her for the very first time. The Rose of Chaos saw no reason not to follow that very good example as she pulled her soul down to her and kissed swallowed his own chuckles with a kiss.

As for me? Well, the battle was finished, my loved ones were alright, that would indeed have to be enough. I closed my eyes briefly, wishing they could somehow feel my love, praying they'd be alright, and then I let go of the mirrors.

* * *

So... what do you think? Ever since I saw that certain scene in the Infinity War trailer I wanted to give it my own spin. Also, I've no idea what Marvel might have planned, but I knew from the start how I wanted to handle it. More explanation on how exactly Vision is alive on the next chapter, as well as the conclusion for this fic. This was way more battle than I ever intended to write... I really hope you liked it.

Next part: Yellow, and it's narrated by none other than Skye! (Thus far the youngest member of our crazy family).

P.S. I'll be posting a Johnlock fic I wrote for the Fandom Trumps Hate 2018 Auction, later today, in case you're interested.


	7. Yellow

And here we are! For the final piece of this fic! So much has happened in this story, things I thought and even claimed that would never happen (the Accords, an epic battle, to name a couple); but I really like the way things happened in the end, the way this universe flows. I love the movies, don't take me wrong but sometimes... sometimes I just want more, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Hope you've enjoyed this, and will enjoy what's to come: In two weeks, the final piece for the main timeline of the Nightingale-verse (I'm still planning on a, somewhat long, set of AUs). It's called Infinite Starlight, and I hope to see you there.

For those wondering about Thor and Jane, and about Vision... here you'll have your answers. I hope they'll be enough. If there's anything else I'll answer any questions you leave me in reviews/comments, as long as they don't concern a future plot-point (also, I'll be adding a tiny explanation in the end notes, you might want to read that first).

Dreamcast: Emily Browning as Nightingale, Georgie Henley as Rose Alfdis, Skandar Keynes as Hakon, Katie McGrath as Helena and Lily Collins as Nina.

The songs in this chapter are: "Rise" as sung by Katy Perry (though if you want to get a feel for how Skye looked as she sang it, look up Abigail Duhon's cover, while Perry's voice is a good fit for how I think Skye would make it sound, Duhon's interpretation always sends shivers through my body, and I pictured Skye moving and looking like that as she sand) and "Chosen" by Generdyn, featuring Svrcina.

* * *

 **Yellow (Skye)**

Idealism is not reality, but it's power allows us to shape it as we wish…

We spent the day after the battle against… we didn't even know what the aliens were called. Though the word 'Insectoid' was being used a lot. In any case, not everyone was absolutely convinced that the enemies wouldn't be coming back; and even then, almost everyone was beyond exhausted, with all magicals so drained the Sorcerer Supreme claimed it was close to a miracle (another miracle) that the main shield still stood (because apparently, even before the madness of the day before, our world was in need of magical defenses to make sure some inhuman creature/monster from a dimension of darkness wouldn't swallow it whole. Yeah… sometimes ignorance is bliss, I was so much happier when I didn't need to worry about monster so huge they could swallow our planet, didn't we have enough trouble dealing with monsters closer to our size? Because apparently the ones inside our own world hadn't been enough, so we also had to deal with those in space, we really didn't need trouble coming at us from even more places!

In any case, turned out that we were quite close to Mom's ranch, so we all headed there. While the house was big, there weren't enough rooms for all of us. Still most didn't mind camping out in one of the sofas, on cushions, or even on the bare floor. There was even some food in the place (since it was meant to serve as a safe-house, mom made sure to always have what was necessary there).

Being daughter to the owner of the house, and having my own room, meant that I actually got the chance to sleep in a bed. I shared it with my Secret Warriors. It was good.

It was hard to sleep. Even though I knew I was beyond exhausted, physically and mentally. A part of my mind, the part connected to what made me inhuman, could still feel traces of the 'wrong vibrations' in the air. I was probably the first non-precog to know the invasion was coming; I felt it the moment the wormhole opened in the sky. Even at that distance, the air itself began sending the wrong kind of vibrations, and I knew it the moment it began.

Those things… they were strong. While I wasn't exactly involved with either of the Chitauri invasions, I'd heard enough people who'd been part of at least one of them (and of the most recent battle). They all agreed that the insectoids were stronger and far more clever than the chitauri had been. And then there were those things, like giant robots. When that thing appeared in the middle of the battlefield, for a moment I was sure we were dead. Was about to order my people to retreat, and then it killed Shiara, she wasn't even an active inhuman! Had been going through the tests to have the chance. Hellfire, one particular inhuman who had cheated to go through terragenesis, and was being held in Afterlife until he proved to be stable enough to go back to the 'real world'. He went nuts, I think he might have had a crush on Shiara. The most chilling part was that even his power wasn't enough to take down the thing. Their loses made something in me snap. How could I call myself Queen when I couldn't keep my people safe?!

Grant didn't like it, and he'd told me so, repeatedly. That I'd risked myself too much, almost killed myself taking the thing down. But it was worth it, if only to protect my people.

It was almost morning when I finally gave up on sleep. While temperature at the time were relatively low, it wasn't too bad, so I didn't bother looking for a jacket and left first my room, and eventually the house, in nothing but comfortable sleeping pants and a thin-strapped black top. I stood on the back porch, sitting on the swing, watching the big desert-rose tree and remembering the last time I'd been in the ranch. Mom joined me minutes later, wearing a loose off-white shirt that hung low on her thin frame (I decided not to ask). She sat beside me and for several seconds neither of us said a word.

"How do I do it?" I asked her eventually. "How do I deal with what just happened and move on? How I not go… crazy with it all?"

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "There's no perfect, magical answer darling, much as I wish there were. What works for me might not work for you. You need to find your own answer, and never let anyone else tell you it's right or wrong. As for what works for me… it depends, sometimes I walk through a garden with my feet bare, just allowing myself to connect to the world, to remind myself why I do what I do. Other times I lock myself inside the music room and play the piano until I forget whatever was bothering me. There are even times when Pietro manages to convince him to let him take me with him on one of his runs, the speed, the wind in your face, going so fast the world seems to almost… almost not exist anymore; it can help." She let out a breath. "And of course, every once in a while, I choose to sing. Mama taught me that one. Singing is cathartic to her, has always been. It's not my first choice all the time but sometimes… it works."

Singing… I had never really done it, not outside of the shower (and one night in a karaoke bar when I'd had one too many shots). Still, in that moment it sounded somehow… right.

Mom didn't say a word when I stood. It was as if she already knew what was coming (maybe she did). I had no idea what I was supposed to sing in the first place; but perhaps that was the point. To stop trying to control, to plan everything; so instead I just breathed, opened my mouth, and let go:

"I won't just survive

Oh, you will see me thrive

Can't write my story

I'm beyond the archetype"

"I won't just conform

No matter how you shake my core

'Cause my roots—they run deep, oh"

"Oh, ye of so little faith

Don't doubt it, don't doubt it

Victory is in my veins

I know it, I know it

And I will not negotiate

I'll fight it, I'll fight it

I will transform"

"When, when the fire's at my feet again

And the vultures all start circling

They're whispering, "You're out of time,"

But still I rise"

"This is no mistake, no accident

When you think the final nail is in

Think again

Don't be surprised

I will still rise"

"I must stay conscious

Through the madness and chaos

So I call on my angels

They say"

"Oh, ye of so little faith

Don't doubt it, don't doubt it

Victory is in your veins

You know it, you know it

And you will not negotiate

Just fight it, just fight it

And be transformed"

"'Cause when, when the fire's at my feet again

And the vultures all start circling

They're whispering, "You're out of time,"

But still I rise"

"This is no mistake, no accident

When you think the final nail is in

Think again

Don't be surprised

I will still rise"

"Don't doubt it, don't doubt it

Oh, oh, oh, oh

You know it, you know it

Still rise

Just fight it, just fight it

Don't be surprised

I will still rise"

I managed to lose myself completely in the song, didn't resurface until I was finished. The sun was almost fully risen by then, and as I opened my eyes and turned back to face mom, I realized it was no longer just the two of us on the veranda. Grant was standing in between the swing and me, hand extended in offering, even as he waited for me to take it, Pietro was on the swing with mom and there were so many others all around, I could almost believe everyone had been there. And they'd been there, listening to me sing.

A part of me felt like I should be flushing, not in shame (I'd never be ashamed of myself), but perhaps in embarrassment, never before had I sung before others, especially not so many people. And yet… I'd found such a release in that song, I couldn't feel bad about it.

"So… does that mean I'm still the only member of the bloody family who cannot sing to save his life?" Hakon quipped from the back.

There were no few laughs at his comment; while I'd never heard him sing (or try to), mom had confided in me that he definitely hadn't inherited his singing voice from his elven birth-mother.

Wanda and Vision joined us then. Hands clasped together, I knew for a fact those two hadn't been apart since Vision's miraculous awakening. None of us knew just yet how it was possible, as we'd been lead to believe that it was the Mind Gem that had been on his forehead that had given him life, so how then could Vision still exist without it?

The answer came in a most unexpected manner. I had no idea when Aunt Helena (I still took an inordinate amount of pleasure in calling her that, same to everyone else who'd allowed/insisted that I call them family) and her sorcerer-fiance: Stephen, arrived to the ranch. Still, all our attention was drawn to them when Vision, still not letting go of Wanda, went straight to her and bowed (seriously! Bowed, and not the kind of bow one might expect from Tony Stark when he was being dramatic, but the kind of bow that I'd seen the Asgardians use!) deeply to her.

"My Queen… Thank you." He whispered, voice full of sincerity.

"You have my thanks as well, your Majesty." Wanda offered, with her own attempt at a bow.

"Just what's going on here?" Tony Stark demanded, approaching the group.

"Haven't you realized the kind of miracle it is for Viz to have woken after that… thing pried the Mind Gem off his head?" Pietro demanded.

"We all thought it was the jewel that gave him life..." Bruce Banner agreed quietly.

"Not all of us." Mom saw fit to point out. "The Gem might have been the start, but it wasn't the sole responsible."

"He still needed a soul." I offered to those still not getting the point. "While he could have existed without it, we… you would have noticed."

I could still remembered Mother, how she'd been, and what I'd been told she'd been like before… Yes, they'd have noticed. Even I'd known something was wrong with her, despite not having known her before. Also, a being with the kind of power the Mind Gem was said to possess, without a human soul to balance him, to give him a moral code, ethics, feelings… it'd have never worked. It'd have been an absolute disaster, probably even worse than Ultron. Also, the fact that he and Wanda were clearly a match (I could feel the way their vibrations complimented each other) was another huge sign of him having a soul (you cannot have a match without one).

"So you remember then?" Helena murmured, though it wasn't actually a question.

"It was necessary, I think." He shrugged. "A newborn conscience would never have been able to handle the pieces of Ultron, JARVIS, and especially the power of the Mind Gem. Also, I needed the emotional connections in order to be able to choose a side, the right side, the moment I woke up."

"Wait so, let me see if I'm getting this right." Tony called loudly. "You have, a soul? Like an actual human soul? And not just that, but the soul of someone who's lived before, who has some kind of… of an emotional connection to us? How…?"

He could all see the moment Tony ran out of words, the emotions usually hidden under lock and key behind his eyes wrecking such havoc on him he couldn't fully conceal them.

"Edward." Vision announced after what seemed like forever. "Vision is well and good for a code-name, but outside of those duties I'd like to have more of a 'normal' life. For then, call me Edward."

"Is that your name?" I couldn't help but ask.

"It's the name my parents chose for me." He answered simply.

I knew there was a lot he wasn't saying, more than most would expect, judging by the sudden shine in Tony's eyes. Everyone got a hell of a shock when he went straight to Vis… Edward, and hugged the hell out of him, all but Wanda.

It was odd, in many ways. I'd heard from the Avengers how against Tony Stark the twins had been at the beginning. Blaming him for what one of his weapons had done to their parents. And then Ultron happened, and… I never quite understood how it all happened. How the two went from aiding him to becoming Avengers, from hating Tony to becoming his teammates. Mom might have played a part in it, but I wasn't sure if that was all. In any case, Wanda's expression as Tony embraced Edward showed she held no ill will towards him; what was more, she approved of the man's reaction to whatever discovery he'd made.

I was relatively sure I was the only one who heard the next words to cross Tony's lips (and even then, it was only because of my gift):

"Welcome to the family… brother."

 **xXx**

It took an almost shamefully long time for us all to realize there were two people missing from our little 'family'. Thor and Jane Foster. The two had dropped by weeks earlier, to sign the Pax Accords as allies to our world (as Thor was Crown Prince of Asgard and Jane was to be his consort and one day queen). Then they'd left for the Realm Eternal again; apparently the wedding preparations were well underway, only waiting for Loki's and Nightingale's return before setting a date. They weren't the only ones, I knew Mom and Aunt Helena were waiting for their parents to return before marrying their respective lovers (matches). Me… I hadn't waited, hadn't seen a reason. Even if they were my godparents, we'd all acknowledged they didn't really know me. Rose was my mom, and that was enough (though I'd also begun seeing AC as my dad at some point, and he knew it, had been the one to 'give me away' when I married Grant).

Still, we had no idea why those two hadn't dropped straight to us the moment the black-hole in the sky opened. There had to have been a very good reason for it, and I was beginning to suspect we were not going to like it.

As if my thoughts had somehow summoned them (though I was fairly sure such a thing wasn't actually possible), I felt the shift in the air a second before a rainbow appeared out of nowhere, slamming onto the sandy-ground less than ten yards from the house; the Bifrost had been activated. The few who had left the back veranda at some point over the last few hours hurried there.

When the dust and sand and colorful lights cleared Thor and Jane were left standing right then, only they didn't look quite like they had the last time we'd seen then. Thor's armor was more elaborate than it had been last and Jane… while she was in the floor-length, raw-silk, dark-azure gown and polished-steel and platinum armor that had become usual for her since becoming Crown Princess Jane, and Thor's betrothed, in that moment while in one hand she was holding her match's own, in the other she held a round polished-steel shield the length of her forearm, a swan with its wings spread made of platinum right in the center, and a single word engraved beneath the swan: Svanhvit (swan-white in Norse, as I'd later learn).

"My brothers and sisters in arms." Thor called in a tone so serious, like nothing any of us had ever heard before. "I bring grim news, I'm afraid."

Grim news no doubt… so, apparently we hadn't been the only ones fighting for our lives the day before. According to what Thor told us, the chaos portal had been much more complex than any of us knew, it hadn't just connected the sky above us to another galaxy, it had also touched half of the other realms (specifically Alfheim, Nidavellir, Jotunheim and Asgard) all of those Realms were forced to fight for their own survival. Also, we could expect to get some very important visitors from the rest of the realms in the following days, as there were quite a few beings wanting to thank us; apparently us (Loki) collapsing the chaos portal as and when he did had caused it to collapse everywhere. Saving a great many lives.

Still, that explained why neither Thor, nor Jane, nor any of our nifty little allies had been around to help with the hell of a battle. They were all quite busy with their own. And judging by their expressions and the fact that there were still some visible wounds on Thor, I wasn't sure if we were all stronger than expected, or extremely lucky (perhaps it was a bit of both).

We all agreed to make for New York shortly after Thor and Jane arrived. It was even somewhat easy, as Stephen agreed to open a portal straight to Avengers Tower. From there we'd be making our way in a more 'normal' fashion to the UN HQs, for a meeting with representatives of the Task Force, the Pax Accords, and whoever else was necessary. We all had to submit our reports concerning the battle, and plan what exactly was coming next.

Because it wasn't over just yet, even I knew that much. We might have won one battle but the war wasn't over just yet, it wouldn't be until Thanos was eliminated…

The moment the thought crossed my mind it made me wonder, not at the validity of it, but at myself. At how much I'd changed. I'd been a simple girl, a 'hacktivist', as I liked to call myself, an orphan, so absolutely lonely in the world, with not even a name she could consider real (I was Skye, of course, but while that was my choice and I held onto it, at times I still wondered who I might have been meant to be; it was the same regarding my parents, I'd always love Mom, believe I needed nothing and no one else, but that hadn't stopped me from wondering sometimes, until I met Mother and Father… and then I understood the truth could be so much better and so much worse than anything we ever imagined, all at the same time).

"Everything okay Skye?" Grant asked quietly as he stood beside me.

It was odd, how I began being Mary… well, technically I began being Daisy, but since I don't remember those first months of my life, in my head they don't count. I was Mary Sue Poots for many years. Both before and after meeting mom. She was the only one who knew about 'Skye' before I turned eighteen (or the time when the sisters of St. Agnes thought I became eighteen), left them for the last time and then went into the first public library with computers and internet service I could find; there I hacked any and all records I could find on me, saved a copy on a personal SD, and deleted all the rest. Mary Sue Poots effectively stopped existing then, I was just Skye.

I was Skye for years before ever meeting AC and the team. Though at some point that went from being my release, the freedom to be whoever I wanted to be, and instead it became an armor, and a mask. It was until I saw mom again, that I remembered what 'Skye' was all about, and then I truly became her (and not just because I took the surname Nova).

Having been so alone for so long, meant that when people began telling me to call them family (there were Mom's parents, and his siblings of course; and then there was Bruce Wayne, who called her cousin, and Erik Lehnsherr, who saw her as a daughter, and so many others) I didn't hesitate. At first it was all like some vindication, like I was telling the world: 'See, this is my family, I have a family, I was never supposed to be alone...' Then I met my birth parents, and they were both amazing and terrible, and I finally understood the difference between families by birth, and families of choice. I was fortunate enough to have both.

The name Daisy… I was born with it, even if I didn't know it for the longest time. It was given back to me before my father died, though I didn't pay much mind to it. Not until Ultron, and Sokovia; until I decided it was time to take my birthright and do something with it; and so I became Daisy Johnson, Quake, Queen of the Inhumans.

I wasn't a Queen in the traditional sense, never would be. But that was alright, our world, and especially my people, didn't need that kind of Queen. So instead I became a sort of liaison, as well as a shield between them and the real world. A bridge and an aid. With the UN and the Pax Accords I both represented my people in general, and the team who'd chosen to work with me, to be heroes when the world needed them, needed us. They were my new Sentinels, my Secret Warriors.

It was sad, seeing the team go, we had such incredible history. But it was only natural. The world was changing, and we were still needed, if in different places and positions than we'd had. Back when we were first a team we existed more or less outside of the world, doing what we believed needed to be done, not really answering to anyone unless absolutely necessary. And that had worked for a while. But after the fall of SHIELD… the world didn't need any more shields slinking through the shadows, striking from them; they needed defenders that would walk in the daylight, that they could see and believe in. So we became that, to the best of our capabilities. Still, it didn't matter if we weren't all the same team anymore, because we were still family, we'd always be family.

Also, I still had the one person I'd always need by my side, and I'd always have him. I believed that. My love, my husband, my match… my Grant.

"Everything's just fine love." I assured him, cocking my head to a side, touching his shoulder.

Yes, as long as I had him, the world might go completely nuts, I'd be just fine.

 **xXx**

The debrief was the longest ever; though it wasn't quite as tedious I'd feared it would be. Turned out, as part of his working with the Pax Accords, SI had provided all members of the Task Force the armor they wore, which, aside from protecting them, and having sensors to register the wearer's life signs (and report if they went below acceptable levels) they also had cameras. So there was at least some recording of every single battle that had taken place. JOCASTA, an AI that Tony had created to aid Darcy (mainly with her hacking) had gotten permission to work those recordings, allowing them to create comprehensible video recordings of each battle. It got a bit dizzying at times, with the changes in view-point, but still, it was amazing to watch.

Also, perhaps the most important point to those of us who represented our own peoples, those recordings did more for our own PR than anything else could have. Yes, the battles had been terrible, people had died (though thankfully few when one considered the scope of the attempted invasion) and many more had been hurt, not to mention the material damages. But we had won; and with the battle over, there were healers, and rescuers and many people willing to help rebuild. There was the Solomon drug, provided by Lex Luthor (no one knew where it came from exactly), which the UN had approved the use of, it had saved a great many lives, where healers couldn't get to those hurt in time (or had no energy to help anymore).

After the tensions that had brought about the necessity of the Pax Accords, the world was beginning to see the other side. The side were gifted, while indeed dangerous, could also be helpful, could be good for them all, and for the world in general. And while they weren't exactly wrong to fear what might happen, that didn't mean they had to fear us. In the end, we were all on the same side.

The Guardians of the Galaxy were received with cheers, everyone knew if it hadn't been for them we might not have made it. We'd just been too exhausted by the time the third wave hit. That also made it obvious that we'd need to do something in order to be better prepared for next time. And there would be a next time, there was no doubt about that. The threat wouldn't be over until Thanos was well and truly gone… though I hadn't the slightest idea of how we could hope to achieve that. I had a feeling someone else in the family just might.

Earth was having a rather abrupt wake up call. It might not have been the first in the last decade, but still a hard one nonetheless. We'd already known that we weren't alone in the universe, even in our planet, there were people more different than a matter of skin or eye color. That one hadn't been easy, it went beyond humans and mutants, and while at first the differences seemed to be driving a chasm, in the end one just had to accept that there were too many different groups. How could one hope to triumph among others when even among themselves there was no unity? Erik had said that once. Perhaps not the most positive of thoughts, but it was true enough. Ideas of superiority had no justification, and it was better if we acknowledged our differences and moved past them; in the end we all needed each other.

 **xXx**

Mom saw fit to express her thanks to every leader who'd been present for the debrief, before a group of Mystic Arts Masters, arranged by Stephen, helped each of them get to their respective homes, like they'd done with their people before. Afterwards, those of us who remained went to Avengers Tower, where Tony insisted it was about time we had a victory party. It was well-known how he loved his parties, and after everything that we'd gone through, most of us honestly believed we deserved it, so we went.

The first thing done was the setting of a date for Thor's and Jane's wedding. It would happen at the end of the month (technically it was already September… though I had no idea when that had happened, I'd jumped time-zones at least three times in the past two days or so). No one was exactly willing to explain why the hurry; personally, I suspected Jane might be pregnant, and with the Aesir being all about honor, and tradition, and the like… yeah, they probably would want to be married before the baby was born; best way to avoid anyone suggesting he/she was illegitimate.

Pietro made quite a scene, asking for Mom's hand in marriage. To which she smacked him in the back of her head, reminding him she was the one marrying him, so it was her decision; though if her family would give their blessing, that would make her very happy.

"It's good to see you happy again, little rose." I heard Loki tell Mom, after the spectacle was over.

"Papa..." It almost seemed like Mom didn't know quite what to say.

"You might not have said a word about it, but your Mama and I aren't blind, we knew since our return you weren't alright. Something happened while we were gone, something big." he explained. "Also, the words you said to us in London, just before we went to help Sherlock and John, 'They are like us', you said, you didn't just mean reincarnation, or a match, you meant halves that have lost their love…" He exhaled. "Much as we might wish you talked to us. We understand. You are a grown woman, have been for many years. Back in the seventies… we let you go, believed you had the right to make your own choices, we still believe that. We may not know Pietro, but then again, we didn't know his previous incarnation either. As long as he's your choice, we'll support it, we'll support you."

"Thank you Papa..." Mom embraced him tightly.

Things were a bit less scandalous with Helena and Stephen. We didn't witness the exchange, but I could see the way they stood, almost closer, so happy. It was obvious all had gone well.

And while I didn't exactly have to ask, either for permission or a blessing, they were still family, and I believed they ought to know about the changes in my life. So I pulled Grant away from Trip and his team and what sounded like rather repetitive regrets that he didn't get to do more because the gifted handled almost everything, and how lucky Grant supposedly was because he'd been able to do more (it was clear Trip hadn't been close enough to any kind of battle to have any idea how terrifying it could be; wasn't sure whether I should hate or pity him, or perhaps neither, the time would come, he'd understand eventually).

"Godmother, Godfather..." I greeted them as I approached.

"D… Skye..." Nightingale greeted me first, embracing me tight. "I'm so happy to see you darling. You sang beautifully yesterday."

"Yeah… not as beautiful as you." I pointed out with a smile.

"No one could ever sing quite like her." Loki deadpanned, before his smile turned warm. "But your voice indeed fits very well in our family."

I took that as a compliment, really, with the exception of Uncle Hakon everyone in the family had beautiful voices. Well… I'd never actually heard Loki sing, but I'd heard Mom talk about it, how even the elves acknowledged his good voice.

"I know you've met him before, but may I introduce him to you again." I told them. "This is Grant, my husband."

"Well met." They both nodded at my love.

"I hope you knew what you were doing when you joined our family, Grant." Loki stated, his voice held an edge of… something. "We're not the kind to let anyone go."

It took me a moment to recognize the threat for what it was. He was warning my husband not to even think about leaving me, that it wouldn't be allowed. I just shook my head.

"I knew exactly what I was doing, sir." Grant, who'd also picked up on that, agreed immediately. "Skye is my whole reason for being, I will never forsake that, or her."

"Wonderful." Loki's smile was warm again.

"Do you know how lucky you lot are?" Mom asked, popping on my other side unexpectedly. "I mean, I can still remember the speech he gave to Johann when he went to ask for Willow's hand. The poor man was almost shaking in his boots, and he was a decorated veteran of the Vietnam war!"

"From what I remember both him and Willow saying, if anyone made him tremble, it was you Rose." Nightingale quipped with an impish smile.

I could picture that actually. Regardless of Loki's fame, and the way he might be able to express himself, there was just something about mom… I had no doubt she could seem truly threatening if she wanted to.

"Anyway, I had a purpose for coming here." Mom declared, focusing straight on her own mother. "Everyone's beginning to sag a bit, still not quite recovered from the battle."

"Really?" I looked around beginning to notice the signs.

"But everyone's here still." Nightingale stated, somewhat confused. "I'm sure Tony must have made arrangements for the night. Why haven't they…?"

"They're waiting for you to sing, Mama." Rose smiled. "Everyone knows you sing on important occasions. And this is certainly an important one. I mean, yeah, it might not be over, not yet, but we managed to win a battle against Thanos's army, again. That counts for something."

"Guess I should choose a really good song to sing then, huh?" Nightingale smiled, a mischievous quirk to her lips. "My Maverick…?"

The mere call to him seemed to be some kind of signal (perhaps because they'd done it so many times before), with a wave of Loki's hand, music began sounding. Instruments playing, first slowly, and then faster, following the rhythm of Nightingale's humming, which went on for about a handful of seconds. Everyone fell quiet instantly, and the moment she began singing, all eyes were on her:

"Walking circles in a dry oasis  
We feel the rain is coming  
We'll overtake all of the war torn places  
And build our hope again"

"Oh oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh  
There's no other time like this we've seen  
We've got the keys to set us free"

"Oh oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh  
I know we're worn down to our bones  
This our prayer, this is our oath"

"We feel the spark in us  
We got the golden touch  
There's royal blood in us  
Chosen for this"

"When darkness overcomes  
There's still a light in us  
Destiny rising up  
Chosen for this"

"We hold the pressure  
All the weight we carry  
Won't let our strength grow thin"

"We'll take these chances  
Through circumstances  
And build our hopes again"

"Oh oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh  
There's no other time like this we've seen  
We've got the keys to set us free"

"Oh oh oh oh oh  
Oh oh oh oh oh  
I know we're worn down to our bones  
But this our prayer this is our oath"

"We feel the spark in us  
We got the golden touch  
There's royal blood in us  
Chosen for this"

"When darkness overcomes  
There's still a light in us  
Destiny rising up  
Chosen for this"

"Oh oh oh oh oh  
Chosen for this"

I didn't notice when first Mom and then Helena began echoing Nightingale in the chorus, and not even just her, Nina and Wanda as well, and then me. Every girl in our family line putting their voice behind the song. And what a song it was! It fit so well with that moment, with our situation.

It might be the 'royal blood' it might be something else entirely, but I fully understood about being the light, and we would make sure darkness wouldn't win. It was our destiny, and one we were all more than willing to embrace. Something that had been chosen for us, and still we'd chosen to go through with it. Fate and Free Will at its very best… We were the protectors of our world, of all worlds, and we'd always be.

* * *

So... what do you think? Did you like it? Hate it? Please, let me know. This is probably one of the most intense fics I've written in my life and I'd love the feedback.

As for the explanation I'd promised. And please, please don't read this until you've read the chapter. Edward... this is something I've been playing with for a long time. Since Fate and Destiny actually. Edward is supposed to be Edward Jarvis, Edwin and Ana Jarvis's son, more precisely, their unborn son. He was mentioned in F&D, where Nightingale goes as far as offering to heal Ana's womb so she might have a chance at having children again, but she refuses, claiming that it was god's will. In both that fic, BoR and EG there were mentions of the innocents, those who either died as children, or were stillborn and, since they never had actual lives, they can't just cross-over, also Helena doesn't let them be reborn with just anyone. Even Edward had been mentioned earlier, by name or otherwise. I always intended for things to go this way. And for those wondering about the name, it's my headcanon that Tony got that middle-name in remembrance of the child the Jarvises never had.

Also, in case this makes someone wonder, Connor's soul is Julian's (yes, that part was planned a long time ago too).

This is it. Finite Harmony is done. Once again, I hope you enjoyed it, don't forget to tell me all you can, and want, about it. And I'll see you in two weeks with the first installment of our final piece: INFINITE STARLIGHT!


End file.
